Azerbaijan may put Karabakh separatists on Interpol wanted list

Ekho, Baku
17 Aug 04

The National Central Bureau of Interpol (NCBI) in Azerbaijan is ready
to announce an international search for the president of the
self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (“NKR” – placed in inverted
commas hereafter), Arkadiy Gukasyan. An informed source at the
law-enforcement bodies told Ekho that the Azerbaijani Prosecutor
General’s Office should initiate criminal proceedings [against him]
for this purpose.

In the meantime, it is difficult to find a better time than it is now
if the National Central Bureau of Azerbaijan announces an
international manhunt for the leader of the Karabakh
separatists. Gukasyan has announced that he is going on holiday. And
“the president” will relax outside Karabakh. “The main information
department” under “the president” of the “NKR” does not report which
country Gukasyan headed for.

Gukasyan remains faithful to his tradition of going on holidays in
August or September. In the past, the leader of the Karabakh
separatists also spent his holidays outside Karabakh, but in Xankandi
they have always avoided reporting where he is going, probably, so
that nobody can spoil his holiday.

Gukasyan is known to travel abroad quite often. He more often visits
France and the USA where he takes part in a variety of telethons
organized by the All-Armenian Foundation Hayastan. The separatist
leader has repeatedly travelled to Moscow. Armenia’s opposition press
reports that Gukasyan is suffering from a certain serious disease
which requires treatment.

[Passage omitted]

It is interesting that representatives of the “NKR” and Yerevan are
hiding Gukasyan’s holiday destination. Thus, “the representation” of
“the NKR” in Moscow refused to tell Ekho anything concerning the
holiday of their “boss”. The same position was shown by the “NKR
representation” in France: “We do not know where our president is
relaxing.”

The separatists found it difficult to answer Ekho’s question about how
often Gukasyan relaxes in France, advising to address this question
to… [ellipsis as given] the Armenian authorities. Armenia’s
diplomatic representation in Moscow said they had no information as to
where the leader of the Karabakh separatists could be relaxing.

Even if the leader of the Karabakh separatists manages to relax
without problems this year, Azerbaijani parliamentarians intend to get
Gukasyan not to leave Karabakh or Armenia in the future. A member of
the parliamentary commission on national security and defence,
Alimammad Nuriyev, told Ekho that he was planning to raise the issue
of restricting the movement of the Karabakh separatists, including
Gukasyan, during the parliament’s autumn session.

Under the MP’s proposal, it is necessary to compile a list of
separatist leaders, which will be later sent to CIS countries and
other friendly nations. Official Baku will have to request that the
governments of these countries impose sanctions on the entry of the
people mentioned on the list. Nuriyev is confident that Baku’s
initiative will be supported, since some CIS countries have problems
with separatism.

The parliamentarian also intends to raise the issue of a similar
address to the European Union. “There is a precedent. The European
Union has banned [unrecognized] Dniester leaders [in Moldova] from
entering EU countries. We have to make use of it.”

In turn, another MP Zahid Oruc suggests introducing tougher sanctions
against the Karabakh separatists. The deputy is in favour of declaring
Gukasyan a war criminal and putting him on the international wanted
list. “I intend to raise this issue at the autumn session of the Milli
Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament]. We have to act on the example of
Russia which has announced Chechen militants war criminals and
demanded their extradition from neighbouring countries. We can in no
way allow Gukasyan to smoothly tour the world.”

Oruc acknowledged that Baku has to compile a list of the Karabakh
separatists headed by Gukasyan and request that CIS countries impose
sanctions against these people. “Time is ripe for moving from official
statements to fruitful actions.” The deputy is sure that constructive
cooperation between the [Azerbaijani] Foreign Ministry and the Milli
Maclis on this issue will yield positive results soon.