Tweet
AZERBAIJAN KILLER PARDON SPARKS ARMENIAN RAGE, NATO CRITICISM
Al-Akhbar English
September 6, 2012 Thursday
Lebanon
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday said he was
"deeply concerned" about the pardoning of a Azerbaijani soldier who
axed an Armenian officer to death during a NATO training course. "The
act he committed in 2004 was a terrible crime and should not be
glorified," Rasmussen said in a speech at Yerevan State University
during a visit to Armenia. Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov was
extradited to Baku last week from Hungary, where he had been serving
a life sentence for hacking the Armenian officer to death. Safarov was
immediately pardoned and promoted to the rank of major after returning
home to a hero's welcome, in defiance of assurances from Baku to
Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan. The issue
has inflamed tensions between ex-Soviet foes Armenia and Azerbaijan
which are locked in an unresolved conflict over the disputed territory
of Nagorny Karabakh where they fought a war in the 1990s. More than
a thousand young Armenians demonstrated outside the university where
Rasmussen was speaking, chanting "Shame! and "We demand justice!" "We
demand that NATO expresses a tough position towards Hungary and
Azerbaijan, revises its cooperation with Azerbaijan... and achieves
Safarov's return to Hungary so that he continues serving his jail term
there," protest organiser Artur Kazarian told AFP. Armenia has broken
off diplomatic links with Hungary over the extradition and subsequent
pardon, which has also sparked concern in Washington, Brussels and
Moscow. At a press conference with Rasmussen later on Thursday,
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said that "making a hero out of
a criminal is unacceptable". "Azerbaijan's shameful act seriously
endangers the security of the entire south Caucasus," he said.
Rasmussen said he would convey NATO's concerns to Azerbaijan when
he visits Baku on Friday. "The pardon damages trust and doesn't
contribute to the peace process," Rasmussen said. "Tensions must
be reduced and concrete steps must be taken to promote regional
cooperation and reconciliation." Armenia and Azerbaijan have not
signed a peace deal since the 1994 Karabakh ceasefire and there are
still frequent gun-battles along the frontline.
Al-Akhbar English
September 6, 2012 Thursday
Lebanon
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday said he was
"deeply concerned" about the pardoning of a Azerbaijani soldier who
axed an Armenian officer to death during a NATO training course. "The
act he committed in 2004 was a terrible crime and should not be
glorified," Rasmussen said in a speech at Yerevan State University
during a visit to Armenia. Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov was
extradited to Baku last week from Hungary, where he had been serving
a life sentence for hacking the Armenian officer to death. Safarov was
immediately pardoned and promoted to the rank of major after returning
home to a hero's welcome, in defiance of assurances from Baku to
Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan. The issue
has inflamed tensions between ex-Soviet foes Armenia and Azerbaijan
which are locked in an unresolved conflict over the disputed territory
of Nagorny Karabakh where they fought a war in the 1990s. More than
a thousand young Armenians demonstrated outside the university where
Rasmussen was speaking, chanting "Shame! and "We demand justice!" "We
demand that NATO expresses a tough position towards Hungary and
Azerbaijan, revises its cooperation with Azerbaijan... and achieves
Safarov's return to Hungary so that he continues serving his jail term
there," protest organiser Artur Kazarian told AFP. Armenia has broken
off diplomatic links with Hungary over the extradition and subsequent
pardon, which has also sparked concern in Washington, Brussels and
Moscow. At a press conference with Rasmussen later on Thursday,
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said that "making a hero out of
a criminal is unacceptable". "Azerbaijan's shameful act seriously
endangers the security of the entire south Caucasus," he said.
Rasmussen said he would convey NATO's concerns to Azerbaijan when
he visits Baku on Friday. "The pardon damages trust and doesn't
contribute to the peace process," Rasmussen said. "Tensions must
be reduced and concrete steps must be taken to promote regional
cooperation and reconciliation." Armenia and Azerbaijan have not
signed a peace deal since the 1994 Karabakh ceasefire and there are
still frequent gun-battles along the frontline.