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Global Times, China
Sept 2 2012
Hungary points to int'l law in letting Azeri killer go home
Xinhua | 2012-9-2 9:45:38
Hungary acted in line with international law when allowing an Azeri
soldier who killed an Armenian military officer in Budapest in 2004 to
go home to serve the remainder of his life sentence there, Hungarian
authorities said on Saturday.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public
Administration and Justice made the remarks in a press release issued
on Saturday.
However, the soldier was immediately pardoned and released on his
return to Azerbaijan on Friday.
The Azeri national, Ramil Sahib Safarov, had been sentenced to life
imprisonment for killing Armenian military officer Gurgen Markaryan in
2004 in Budapest where the two were attending a NATO training session.
Armenia responded by cutting off diplomatic ties with Hungary, as the
Central Asian nation is still in conflict with Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been
controlled by Armenian troops and ethnic forces since a separatist war
broke out in 1988.
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a cease-fire agreement in 1994 but the
conflict has never been truly settled despite international mediation
by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe that was co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States.
The killing was believed to be related to these hostilities.
In fact, recent cross-border clashes have triggered concerns that
there could be a resumption of fighting in the region, in which there
are multiple energy pipelines going towards Europe.
Azerbaijan's Justice Ministry had assured Hungarian officials that
Safarov would continue serving his sentence in Azerbaijan, but Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to pardon him on the day of his
arrival home.
Armenia has announced a suspension of diplomatic relations with
Hungary in protest against the transfer and has suggested that Hungary
is morally responsible for Safarov's release.
The Hungarian government press release underlined Hungary's profound
respect for Armenia, adding that it considered the diplomatic measures
taken to be unfortunate.
However, opposition leaders say that government officials should have
known Safarov would receive a hero's welcome at home and would never
serve out his sentence. Opposition left-of-center MSZP and Democratic
Coalition parties are calling for a special session of parliament's
foreign affairs committee.
The international echo has reached beyond Armenia. US President Barack
Obama voiced concern over Safarov's pardon and Washington has asked
Budapest to explain why it chose to let him return home.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/730503.shtml
From: A. Papazian
Sept 2 2012
Hungary points to int'l law in letting Azeri killer go home
Xinhua | 2012-9-2 9:45:38
Hungary acted in line with international law when allowing an Azeri
soldier who killed an Armenian military officer in Budapest in 2004 to
go home to serve the remainder of his life sentence there, Hungarian
authorities said on Saturday.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public
Administration and Justice made the remarks in a press release issued
on Saturday.
However, the soldier was immediately pardoned and released on his
return to Azerbaijan on Friday.
The Azeri national, Ramil Sahib Safarov, had been sentenced to life
imprisonment for killing Armenian military officer Gurgen Markaryan in
2004 in Budapest where the two were attending a NATO training session.
Armenia responded by cutting off diplomatic ties with Hungary, as the
Central Asian nation is still in conflict with Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been
controlled by Armenian troops and ethnic forces since a separatist war
broke out in 1988.
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a cease-fire agreement in 1994 but the
conflict has never been truly settled despite international mediation
by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe that was co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States.
The killing was believed to be related to these hostilities.
In fact, recent cross-border clashes have triggered concerns that
there could be a resumption of fighting in the region, in which there
are multiple energy pipelines going towards Europe.
Azerbaijan's Justice Ministry had assured Hungarian officials that
Safarov would continue serving his sentence in Azerbaijan, but Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to pardon him on the day of his
arrival home.
Armenia has announced a suspension of diplomatic relations with
Hungary in protest against the transfer and has suggested that Hungary
is morally responsible for Safarov's release.
The Hungarian government press release underlined Hungary's profound
respect for Armenia, adding that it considered the diplomatic measures
taken to be unfortunate.
However, opposition leaders say that government officials should have
known Safarov would receive a hero's welcome at home and would never
serve out his sentence. Opposition left-of-center MSZP and Democratic
Coalition parties are calling for a special session of parliament's
foreign affairs committee.
The international echo has reached beyond Armenia. US President Barack
Obama voiced concern over Safarov's pardon and Washington has asked
Budapest to explain why it chose to let him return home.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/730503.shtml
From: A. Papazian