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BREAKING NEWS: ARMENIA SUSPENDS RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY
asbarez
Friday, August 31st, 2012
President Sarkisian addresses the foreign diplomatic corps on Friday
YEREVAN-President Serzh Sarkisian suspended all relations with Hungary
Friday in the aftermath of that country decision to covertly extradite
an Azeri office who brutally murdered an Armenian soldier in 2004
during a joint NATO military retreat, reported the presidential
press service.
After meeting with Armenian National Security Council, Sarkisian
convened a meeting of foreign diplomatic corps to convey Armenia's
anger and its decision to immediately suspend relations with Hungary.
Lt. Ramil Safarov sentenced to life in prison in Hungary for hacking
to death Armenian officer, Lt. Gurgen Markarian, was sent back to
Azerbaijan Friday and, despite assurances, was immediately pardoned
and freed by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.
Safarov was given a life sentence in 2006 by the Budapest City Court
after he confessed to killing Markarian while both were in Hungary
for a 2004 NATO language course.
Hungary returned the 35-year-old Safarov to Azerbaijan only after
receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that
Safarov's sentence, which included the possibility of parole after
25 years, would be enforced.
In very terse remarks, Sarkisian condemned Hungary for the transfer
and also criticized the international community for not responding
to apparent warning by Armenia, which adhered to international calls
to not politicize the case.
In an earlier meeting with Armenia's National Security Council,
Sarkisian announced that he has instructed the defense ministry
to place all troops on high alert, urged the National Assembly
to convene an emergency session. He also announced that he has a
"special assignment" for the head of Armenia's National Security
Service Gorik Hakpyan.
Below is the text of Sarkisian's remarks to diplomats as presented
by the presidential office without edits:
Distinguished Ambassadors:
Unfortunately today we invited you to the President's Office on
an extraordinary occasion. As you should know, an officer of the
Azeri military who had killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
was transferred to Azerbaijan. The President of Azerbaijan - and we
have been warning about it - has immediately granted pardon to him.
This has happened because the Government of Hungary, a member State
of the European Union and NATO, has made a deal with the authorities
of Azerbaijan.
I do not want to revisit the circumstances of the murder of Gurgen
Margaryan; you are very well aware of them. As the trial had
demonstrated, the horrendous manslaughter took place only because
Gurgen Margaryan was an Armenian.
Immediately after this crime had been perpetrated the Hungarian
authorities as well as our partners - EU and NATO member States, were
continually urging us to refrain from politicizing that process. We
were continually urged to trust the judiciary of Hungary, a member
State to those important alliances.
We have been closely following all the developments around that
criminal. This issue has been discussed during each and every meeting
with the President, Speaker of the Parliament, Foreign Minister and
Ambassador of Hungary, and we have been assured on numerous occasions
that such a transfer or a return of a criminal to Azerbaijan was
excluded. We have received that same response to our requests
during our contacts just a few days ago with the representatives
of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry and Parliament. But as a result
of perfidious developments the murderer has turned up in Baku and
got released.
I have nothing to say about Azerbaijan - just plainly nothing. That
country speaks about itself with the actions it takes, and I am not
the one to explain those steps.
Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen:
With their joint actions the authorities of Hungary and Azerbaijan
have opened the door for the recurrence of such crimes. With this
decision they convey a clear message to the butchers. The slaughterers
hereafter are well aware of impunity they can enjoy for the murder
driven by ethnic or religious hatred.
I CAN NOT TOLERATE THAT.
THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA CAN NOT TOLERATE THAT.
THE ARMENIAN NATION WILL NEVER FORGIVE THAT.
I officially announce that as of today we suspend diplomatic relations
and all official contacts with Hungary.
We expect a precise and unambiguous response by all our partners with
regard to this incident.
Anyone who tolerates this, will tomorrow be held responsible to
history.
Half-measures and circumlocution are not acceptable.
We will judge the attitude of our partners towards the security of
the Armenian nation by their response to this incident.
I request you urgently to convey this as my personal message to the
Heads of your States and Governments.
That is all I wanted to say. I do not know if Q&A will make sense or
not? I think it won't since what happened can hardly be accommodated
by a reasonable mind. A country that considers itself developed and
civilized does not have the right to behave this way and it well
deserves proper assessment by its partners.
From: A. Papazian
asbarez
Friday, August 31st, 2012
President Sarkisian addresses the foreign diplomatic corps on Friday
YEREVAN-President Serzh Sarkisian suspended all relations with Hungary
Friday in the aftermath of that country decision to covertly extradite
an Azeri office who brutally murdered an Armenian soldier in 2004
during a joint NATO military retreat, reported the presidential
press service.
After meeting with Armenian National Security Council, Sarkisian
convened a meeting of foreign diplomatic corps to convey Armenia's
anger and its decision to immediately suspend relations with Hungary.
Lt. Ramil Safarov sentenced to life in prison in Hungary for hacking
to death Armenian officer, Lt. Gurgen Markarian, was sent back to
Azerbaijan Friday and, despite assurances, was immediately pardoned
and freed by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.
Safarov was given a life sentence in 2006 by the Budapest City Court
after he confessed to killing Markarian while both were in Hungary
for a 2004 NATO language course.
Hungary returned the 35-year-old Safarov to Azerbaijan only after
receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that
Safarov's sentence, which included the possibility of parole after
25 years, would be enforced.
In very terse remarks, Sarkisian condemned Hungary for the transfer
and also criticized the international community for not responding
to apparent warning by Armenia, which adhered to international calls
to not politicize the case.
In an earlier meeting with Armenia's National Security Council,
Sarkisian announced that he has instructed the defense ministry
to place all troops on high alert, urged the National Assembly
to convene an emergency session. He also announced that he has a
"special assignment" for the head of Armenia's National Security
Service Gorik Hakpyan.
Below is the text of Sarkisian's remarks to diplomats as presented
by the presidential office without edits:
Distinguished Ambassadors:
Unfortunately today we invited you to the President's Office on
an extraordinary occasion. As you should know, an officer of the
Azeri military who had killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
was transferred to Azerbaijan. The President of Azerbaijan - and we
have been warning about it - has immediately granted pardon to him.
This has happened because the Government of Hungary, a member State
of the European Union and NATO, has made a deal with the authorities
of Azerbaijan.
I do not want to revisit the circumstances of the murder of Gurgen
Margaryan; you are very well aware of them. As the trial had
demonstrated, the horrendous manslaughter took place only because
Gurgen Margaryan was an Armenian.
Immediately after this crime had been perpetrated the Hungarian
authorities as well as our partners - EU and NATO member States, were
continually urging us to refrain from politicizing that process. We
were continually urged to trust the judiciary of Hungary, a member
State to those important alliances.
We have been closely following all the developments around that
criminal. This issue has been discussed during each and every meeting
with the President, Speaker of the Parliament, Foreign Minister and
Ambassador of Hungary, and we have been assured on numerous occasions
that such a transfer or a return of a criminal to Azerbaijan was
excluded. We have received that same response to our requests
during our contacts just a few days ago with the representatives
of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry and Parliament. But as a result
of perfidious developments the murderer has turned up in Baku and
got released.
I have nothing to say about Azerbaijan - just plainly nothing. That
country speaks about itself with the actions it takes, and I am not
the one to explain those steps.
Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen:
With their joint actions the authorities of Hungary and Azerbaijan
have opened the door for the recurrence of such crimes. With this
decision they convey a clear message to the butchers. The slaughterers
hereafter are well aware of impunity they can enjoy for the murder
driven by ethnic or religious hatred.
I CAN NOT TOLERATE THAT.
THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA CAN NOT TOLERATE THAT.
THE ARMENIAN NATION WILL NEVER FORGIVE THAT.
I officially announce that as of today we suspend diplomatic relations
and all official contacts with Hungary.
We expect a precise and unambiguous response by all our partners with
regard to this incident.
Anyone who tolerates this, will tomorrow be held responsible to
history.
Half-measures and circumlocution are not acceptable.
We will judge the attitude of our partners towards the security of
the Armenian nation by their response to this incident.
I request you urgently to convey this as my personal message to the
Heads of your States and Governments.
That is all I wanted to say. I do not know if Q&A will make sense or
not? I think it won't since what happened can hardly be accommodated
by a reasonable mind. A country that considers itself developed and
civilized does not have the right to behave this way and it well
deserves proper assessment by its partners.
From: A. Papazian