CITIZENS OF BOTH ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN ARE AGAINST WAR

A1plus
| 20:01:01 | 06-05-2005 | Politics |

This is the opinion of Ilham Hasanov, head of the Azerbaijani Court
of Appeal Board.

“I do not give interviews even to Azerbaijani journalists. Usually
questions are asked to famous people – Presidents, Prime Minister,
Ministers, delegates, stars. I am not an interesting person”. Thus
during the 3rd International Judge Conference organized in Georgia
Azerbaijani Court of Appeal Criminal Affairs and Administrative
violations Board head Ilham Hasanov tried to avoid our question.

Although Mr. Hasanov’s obstinacy, we manages to convince him that he
is a well-known person in his fatherland at least because of the fact
that many famous people in Azerbaijan – ex-prosecutor Safar Ghazin,
ex-Prime Minister Suret Huseynov and others have been imprisoned as
a result of his decisions.

By the way, at the beginning of the interview Mr. Hasanov announced
that he will answer only the questions referring to his profession.

– Mr. Hasanov, about 120 political prisoners have been finally set free
in Azerbaijan. Does it mean that they had been imprisoned groundlessly?

– No. They are called “political prisoners” but it is not so. Among
those set free there are famous names but it does not mean that they
had been imprisoned groundlessly.

– What changes have there occurred in the Azerbaijani court system
under Ilham Aliev?

– On December 28, 2004 in Azerbaijan within the framework of the
Azerbaijani commitments before the EU a Law has been adopted about
Courts, and we have also created a Security Council, like that
of Armenia.

– Can you say that the Azerbaijani Court system is really independent?

– There is not a single country which can say that its Court system
is fully independent. Not only Azerbaijan but also the CIS countries
cannot say that they have independent court systems. In comparison
with the Soviet times, the court system is taking its first steps,
like a small child.

– Which are the major hinders of an independent court system in
Azerbaijan?

– The reasons are numerous – political, economical, financial. For
example, almost all the judges of the Court of Appeal get a salary
of about 1100 UA dollars.

– Is in enough to make unbiased decisions and not to be bribed?

– If you are not invited to weddings and other events, if you don’t
buy expensive presents and don’t take care of your relatives, then
it is enough.

– Your name is actively used in the political field. Aren’t you going
to be more active in the political field?

– No. I like my profession.

– When the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Azerbaijan
in 1991 August, the authorities announced that from 1920 to 1991
Azerbaijan has been an occupied country and annulled the 1922 treaty
about the creation of the USSR. NGK has been included in Azerbaijan
only n 1923. That is, this way or that, Karabakh has never been part
of Azerbaijan. How do you appreciate this fact?

– It is history, politics, and I’m not engaged in politics. I can
answer the question from the legal point if view, but I am not
acquainted with the documents in detail.

– The international structures and the people connected with the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict announce by fits and starts
that the conflict cannot be settled without compromise. What do they
understand in Azerbaijani saying «compromise»?

– As citizen of Azerbaijan it is a very painful issue for me. I
am sure that there will come a time when the NKG conflict will be
settled, but I cannot say how. My desire is that it be settled by
way of peaceful negotiations.

– In contrast to you, in Azerbaijan threats of starting war sound
from time to time. Is it possible?

– I am sure that the citizens of both Azerbaijan and Armenia are
against war. The authorities announce about war having different aims.

– Up to now the RA authorities have made no announcement on the
restarting of war. According to you, what is the aim of Azerbaijani
authorities?

– I’m not engaged in politics.

– As a lawyer, how do you imagine the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict?

– It must be solved not in the international structures but between
the two nations contacting each other. The conflict must first of all
be settled between the Azerbaijani and Armenian resident of Karabakh,
after which the Azerbaijani and RA authorities can also join.

– There is an opinion that the Karabakh conflict can be solved till
the end of 2005. What do you think about it?

– I think the negotiating parties do not have enough desire to settle
the conflict now.

– During the previous conference the Lachin Judge was also included
in the Azerbaijani delegation whose residence, as he said, was in
Baku. Today the name of the Aghdam Judge is mentioned who is not
present. Who is he and where is his residence?

– Again in Baku. I cannot say why he did not arrive, but like the
Lachin Judge, he too minds the problems of the refugees as the areas
are in control of Armenians.

– Aghdam and Lachin Judges were appointed in 2000. If it does not
have purely political aims, why wasn’t Azerbaijan interested in the
judicial cases of its refugees before that?

– We restore all the structures of our occupied areas.

– Have you ever been to RA?

– Yes, at the beginning of 1980s before the movement I was in charge
of a civic case and I could not summon to court an Azerbaijani man
who was in Armenia. I came and examined him.

– And have you been to NKR?

– Yes, when I was at school. I took part in a sport competition
in Stepanakert.

– Doesn’t the NKR conflict bother you while contacting with the
Armenian colleagues?

No. By means of contacts any conflict can be settled. I had Armenian
friends in Baku who although have left Baku but we still keep contact
with each other.

Viktoria Abrahamyan

–Boundary_(ID_nu/qCg8AUDsbmAvnu1wjoA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress