EUROPE’S SECOND WARNING TO AZERBAIJAN

AZG Armenian Daily
19/04/2006

“The verdict for Ramil Safarov became a verdict for the entire
anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan,” Hayk Demoyan, representative of
RA Defense Ministry at the trail of Ramil Safarov, said at today’s
press conference. Azeri army officer Safarov killed his Armenian
colleague Gurgen Margarian in Budapest, on February 19 2004. On April
13, 2006, the Court of Hungary sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
with eligibility for parole in 30 years.

“This is the second time since the beginning of this year that
Europe warns

Azerbaijan that the settlement of issues through middle age barbarian
measures is not acceptable for the world and Europe, in particular,”
Demoyan said, reminding that the European Parliament adopted a
resolution condemning the destruction of the Armenian medieval
graveyard in Nakhijevan. He said that publications in the Hungarian
mass media and the meetings with Hungarian public show that the
society of this country finds the verdict for Safarov fair, moreover,
they state that the verdict is proceeded from the national interests
of Hungary.

Nazeli Vardanian, the Margarian family attorney, informed about the
details of April 4-13 court hearings. She said that the April 4 speech
of the prosecutor who demanded to sentence Safarov to life imprisonment
with no right to amnesty for 30 years was quite a strict one. The
prosecutor emphasized that the crime was plotted. He proved this by
reminding about the ax that was bought beforehand, Safarov’s attempt to
kill the second Armenian officer Hayk Makuchian, as well as his yells
when threatening to kill the rest of the Armenian servicemen. It was
stated that the murder of Makuchian was averted by the policemen. The
prosecutor emphasized that Safarov trespassed on Hungary’s hospitality
and he should bear the most severe punishment to avert the repetition
of such cases in the future. Hungarian lawyer Gabriella Kaspar,
representing the legal successors of Margarian, pointed out that
extreme brutality of Safarov is rooted in national hatred and demanded
to sentence him to life imprisonment. While the lawyer of Safarov
suggested to take into account the results of the expertise proving
that the Azeri officer was fully or partly insane. She also tried to
prove that Safarov was in “the post-war physical state.” In response,
the lawyers of the Armenian side reminded the court that Safarov
has never fought in a war. Moreover, our lawyers also disputed the
statement that Safarov doesn’t speak Russian well enough so that he
can’t deny the testimonies he gave before. In his April 13 speech,
Safarov expressed regret for his actions, insisted on his insanity
and said that, seeing the Armenians, he totally lost control. Safarov
added that he wasn’t going to kill, and if he intended to kill the
Armenians, he would have done that in Azerbaijan and Turkey where
there are Armenian communities. It’s noteworthy that if Safarov is
pardoned he entry Hungary will be closed for him for 10 more years.

Vardanian said that in response to the claim Safarov’s lawyer
to involve the Azeri experts in the trial, as Safarov belongs to
non-European culture, the judge said he doesn’t know a single culture
that approves a murder with an ax. In response to the question about
the appeal against the sentence or extradition of Safarov, Vardanian
said that the judiciary systems both in Armenian and Hungary are
three-staged. But the Appeal Court of Hungary doesn’t hold a double
investigation and considers only the existing documents. They
can appeal to the Causation court only in case new circumstances
resurface. She said that the appeals of Safarov’s lawyers will hardly
be satisfied.

As for the extradition probability, Vardanian said that the
Azeri side keeps demanding that from the very beginning of the
trial. Particularly, she said that thanks to the efforts of Azeri
lawyers, the Court of Hungary was going to pass the case for the trial
in Baku but the Armenian lawyers averted that. “At present, there
is no relevant agreement on Safarov’s extradition between Azerbaijan
and Hungary even if it occurs that will not apply to him. At present,
Safarov’s extradition is impossible,” Vardanian said.

She added that the Armenian side also instituted a civil suit on
compensation of the moral and material damage. According to preliminary
data, the volume of the suit will amount to $500 thousand. The suit
will be considered at a separate trial. Vardanian and Demoyan thanked
RA Defense Ministry, particularly, minister Serge Sargsian and deputy
defense minister Artur Aghabekian for assistance in the course of the
court investigation. Besides, they thanked the Armenian mass media
for highlighting the trial.