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SAFAROV FACTOR: EXTRADITION OF CONFESSED AZERI CRIMINAL CONTINUES TO HAMPER ARMENIAN-HUNGARIAN RELATIONS
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow
Politics | 26.09.12 | 15:01
YSU Young Students Union organized a march to the Yerablur military
cemetery in Yerevan to honor Gurgen Margaryan on his 34th birthday
the topic or containing slander or offensive language will be
deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave your comment. Sign
in or Register now for free.
Students of the Yerevan State University and members of the Gurgen
Margaryan NGO organized a march to the Yerablur military cemetery
in the Armenian capital - the resting place of the officer who was
hacked to death while being asleep by Ramil Safarov, an Azeri fellow
student at NATO-sponsored English language courses in Budapest,
Hungary, in 2004.
Enlarge Photo
Safarov, who struck the sleeping man 16 times, cutting his head off the
body with an axe he had purchased the night before has not repented
his heinous crime. In 2006 he was sentenced to life in Hungary
without the right of pardon for the first 30 years, but on August
31 this year Hungary agreed to extradite the criminal to Azerbaijan,
where he was met as a hero, was pardoned by the presidential decree
and was promoted to the military rank of a major.
Safarov also received his back salary for the eight and a half years
he spent in jail in Budapest.
Safarov's extradition caused a great wave of criticism from the
international community and a strong reaction from official Yerevan
that suspended diplomatic ties with Budapest. The Armenian National
Assembly accused Hungary of "creating a precedent encouraging ethnic
hate crimes against Armenians."
At a press conference in Yerevan today expert on international law
Levon Gevorgyan said that Armenia and Hayk Makuchyan (Margaryan's
classmate in Budapest, who escaped death at the hands of Safarov)
should demand material compensation from Azerbaijan as well as to
get the political levers of pressure.
He said that the lawsuit against Azerbaijan should be based on its
violation of a person's right to life, as well as violation of the
international convention on elimination of discrimination on ethnic
grounds.
Gevorgyan also noted that such a legal process will demonstrate the
impossibility for Karabakh people living under the rule of Azerbaijan,
the country, where a murder is being justified only for the reason
that the victim was an Armenian.
Meanwhile, the Safarov Affair continues to affect not only the
political relations but also the joint cultural projects between
Armenia and Hungary.
Renowned Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan called off his tour of Hungary
where he was due to perform in late October at the concert hall of
the Moholy-Nagy University of Art in Budapest. The pianist made a
statement saying that he felt insulted by the humiliating step of
the Hungarian state aimed against the Armenian nation.
Early in September the Yerevan State University cancelled the earlier
confirmed participation in a conference to be held at the Central
European University's Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies.
A note of protest did not bypass the upcoming HighFest either. The
10th International Theatre Festival is due to be held in Yerevan
on October 2-9. Still in summer it was planned that the headliner
of the festival will be the Center of the renowned Hungarian dancer
and choreographer Jozsef Nagy, who was to present a performance of
Hungarian dances. As a result the HighFest organizers themselves
asked the Center to cancel their performance in Yerevan.
The extraordinary thing about this is that as many as 25 theaters
representing 18 countries including Turkey will take part in HighFest,
but Hungary will not be represented.
Nevertheless, the Turkish "factor" has became an occasion for
indignation in connection with another cultural event in Budapest,
where the Armenian community reacted angrily to plans to erect a
monument to Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state.
The monument is due to be unveiled in the Hungarian capital
on September 29. Representatives of the community say that the
establishment of this monument does not meet the interests of Hungary
against the background of the continuing scandal around Safarov's
extradition.
Hungarian media, citing Russian sources, write that renewed hostilities
in Karabakh are possible in the current tense atmosphere between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"The Safarov Affair suits the interests of both Yerevan and Baku to
abort attempts to achieve peace. They have not decided to go to war
yet, but they've already turned away from peace," writes Nepszava
Online.
In Armenia, meanwhile, another controversial decision related to the
world of sport has elicited a mixed reaction. In early September
international chess's governing body FIDE decided to grant Baku
the right to host the 2016 World Chess Olympiad. Armenian sports
functionaries threatened to boycott the event.
Before the final vote on the decision at the FIDE Executive Committee
its officials reportedly got guarantees of security for all athletes
from Azerbaijan. President of the Chess Academy of Armenia Smbat
Lputyan stated, however, that if the Olympiad in 2016 is held in the
Azerbaijani capital, Armenian players will refuse to participate in it.
From: Baghdasarian
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow
Politics | 26.09.12 | 15:01
YSU Young Students Union organized a march to the Yerablur military
cemetery in Yerevan to honor Gurgen Margaryan on his 34th birthday
the topic or containing slander or offensive language will be
deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave your comment. Sign
in or Register now for free.
Students of the Yerevan State University and members of the Gurgen
Margaryan NGO organized a march to the Yerablur military cemetery
in the Armenian capital - the resting place of the officer who was
hacked to death while being asleep by Ramil Safarov, an Azeri fellow
student at NATO-sponsored English language courses in Budapest,
Hungary, in 2004.
Enlarge Photo
Safarov, who struck the sleeping man 16 times, cutting his head off the
body with an axe he had purchased the night before has not repented
his heinous crime. In 2006 he was sentenced to life in Hungary
without the right of pardon for the first 30 years, but on August
31 this year Hungary agreed to extradite the criminal to Azerbaijan,
where he was met as a hero, was pardoned by the presidential decree
and was promoted to the military rank of a major.
Safarov also received his back salary for the eight and a half years
he spent in jail in Budapest.
Safarov's extradition caused a great wave of criticism from the
international community and a strong reaction from official Yerevan
that suspended diplomatic ties with Budapest. The Armenian National
Assembly accused Hungary of "creating a precedent encouraging ethnic
hate crimes against Armenians."
At a press conference in Yerevan today expert on international law
Levon Gevorgyan said that Armenia and Hayk Makuchyan (Margaryan's
classmate in Budapest, who escaped death at the hands of Safarov)
should demand material compensation from Azerbaijan as well as to
get the political levers of pressure.
He said that the lawsuit against Azerbaijan should be based on its
violation of a person's right to life, as well as violation of the
international convention on elimination of discrimination on ethnic
grounds.
Gevorgyan also noted that such a legal process will demonstrate the
impossibility for Karabakh people living under the rule of Azerbaijan,
the country, where a murder is being justified only for the reason
that the victim was an Armenian.
Meanwhile, the Safarov Affair continues to affect not only the
political relations but also the joint cultural projects between
Armenia and Hungary.
Renowned Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan called off his tour of Hungary
where he was due to perform in late October at the concert hall of
the Moholy-Nagy University of Art in Budapest. The pianist made a
statement saying that he felt insulted by the humiliating step of
the Hungarian state aimed against the Armenian nation.
Early in September the Yerevan State University cancelled the earlier
confirmed participation in a conference to be held at the Central
European University's Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies.
A note of protest did not bypass the upcoming HighFest either. The
10th International Theatre Festival is due to be held in Yerevan
on October 2-9. Still in summer it was planned that the headliner
of the festival will be the Center of the renowned Hungarian dancer
and choreographer Jozsef Nagy, who was to present a performance of
Hungarian dances. As a result the HighFest organizers themselves
asked the Center to cancel their performance in Yerevan.
The extraordinary thing about this is that as many as 25 theaters
representing 18 countries including Turkey will take part in HighFest,
but Hungary will not be represented.
Nevertheless, the Turkish "factor" has became an occasion for
indignation in connection with another cultural event in Budapest,
where the Armenian community reacted angrily to plans to erect a
monument to Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state.
The monument is due to be unveiled in the Hungarian capital
on September 29. Representatives of the community say that the
establishment of this monument does not meet the interests of Hungary
against the background of the continuing scandal around Safarov's
extradition.
Hungarian media, citing Russian sources, write that renewed hostilities
in Karabakh are possible in the current tense atmosphere between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"The Safarov Affair suits the interests of both Yerevan and Baku to
abort attempts to achieve peace. They have not decided to go to war
yet, but they've already turned away from peace," writes Nepszava
Online.
In Armenia, meanwhile, another controversial decision related to the
world of sport has elicited a mixed reaction. In early September
international chess's governing body FIDE decided to grant Baku
the right to host the 2016 World Chess Olympiad. Armenian sports
functionaries threatened to boycott the event.
Before the final vote on the decision at the FIDE Executive Committee
its officials reportedly got guarantees of security for all athletes
from Azerbaijan. President of the Chess Academy of Armenia Smbat
Lputyan stated, however, that if the Olympiad in 2016 is held in the
Azerbaijani capital, Armenian players will refuse to participate in it.
From: Baghdasarian