Jailed Armenian pilots may be extradited from Equatorial Guinea

Jailed Armenian pilots may be extradited from Equatorial Guinea

Noyan Tapan news agency
2 Dec 04

YEREVAN

The Armenian authorities will continue providing every support to the
six Armenian pilots convicted of attempting to stage a coup d’etat in
Equatorial Guinea.

Ambassador Sergey Manaseryan, who has received the text of the
sentence handed down on 26 November, is expected to return to Yerevan
from Malabo today, the press secretary of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, Gamlet Gasparyan, has told Noyan Tapan.

It must be remembered that the captain of the aircraft has been
sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment, while other pilots to 14 years.

Speaking about further steps by the Armenian side, the press secretary
pointed to the importance of signing an agreement on extradition
between the two countries, adding that such a document is already
being prepared. Only after that, will it be possible to negotiate the
handover of the Armenian pilots. At the same time, the pilots’ lawyer
will continue taking steps to appeal against the sentence to the
Supreme Court of Equatorial Guinea.

Gasparyan said Armenia’s confidence of the pilots’ innocence is not
abstract, but based on specific facts. As for the sentence, the
Foreign Ministry spokesman said it was purely political given
Equatorial Guinea’s domestic problems.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS