Azeri ombudsman slams Armenian plans to set up similar body in Karabakh

ANS TV, Baku
10 Feb 05

[Presenter] Azerbaijan denounces the separatist regime’s plans to set
up an institution of ombudsman in Nagornyy Karabakh and does not view
as expedient the opening of two similar institutions in one country
[as Nagornyy Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan], Azerbaijani ombudsman
Elmira Suleymanova has said. She was also negative about another
proposal by the Armenian side.

[Correspondent, over archive footage of Armenian ombudsman Larisa
Alaverdyan] Armenian ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan has appealed to
her Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmira Suleymanova. In her appeal, the
Armenian ombudsman demanded compensation for the Armenians that have
left Azerbaijan [in 1990].

[Suleymanova, speaking to microphone] I do not want to discuss the
issue with her. She serves her own policy [as heard, presumably her
country’s policy]. She turned to us over compensation. Alaverdyan
herself has left Azerbaijan for Armenia as well. She knows very
well that Armenians have sold all their houses and property in
Azerbaijan. They turned them into gold and money and took with
themselves. They raise the compensation issue now. The Armenian
ombudsman appealed to me a few days ago, but I am not going to answer
her because she seeks a pretext for a correspondence.

[Correspondent] In fact, Suleymanova is more interested in compensation
than her Armenian counterpart because Suleymanova is more realistic
about the protection of rights of about 1m [Azerbaijani] refugees
and displaced persons given an attitude to Azerbaijan’s just cause
in the international public opinion [as heard].

There is another interesting issue. It has been decided to establish
an institution of ombudsman in the so-called Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic. However, Suleymanova considers there is no need for this.

[Suleymanova] An ombudsman in every country is to protect the rights
of citizens and foreign citizens in their countries. Everybody and
the world know and accept that Nagornyy Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s
integral part and it would be more correct if its people turn to the
Azerbaijani ombudsman with their problems.

[Correspondent] Suleymanova, who described as illegitimate the
establishment of a certain body in the illegitimate republic, is
going to turn to international bodies over the problem.

[Passage omitted: more about institution of ombudsman]

The latest steps taken or to be taken by the Armenians, whose activity
grew after the visit by the OSCE’s fact-finding mission to Nagornyy
Karabakh [to monitor whether ethnic Armenians have been resettled
in Nagornyy Karabakh], promise nothing good for the talks on the
settlement of the conflict.

Eldaniz Valiyev, Ramin Yaqubov for ANS.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress