31/08/2012 18:19
Larisa Alaverdyan: Extradition of Safarov to Azerbaijan is unacce
Ramil Safarov’s extradition is unacceptable. More than 70 NGOs and people around the world have joined this appeal, Executive Director of the social organization "Fund against legal tyranny", the first Ombudsman of Armenia Larisa Alaverdyan told journalists today.
Напомним, что в 2004 году азербайджанский офицер Рамиль Сафаров в Будапеште зверски зарубил топором спящего офицера ВС Армении Гургена Маргаряна. Оба офицера в Венгрии проходили курсы английского языка в рамках программы НАТО «Партнерство ради мира». После этого Р.Сафаров предпринял аналогичную попытку убийства и второго армянского офицера, которая была предотвращена.
In 2004, in Budapest the Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov brutally hacked to death the officer of the Armed Forces of Armenia Gurgen Margaryan while the latter was asleep. Both of the officers were in Hungary taking English courses within the NATO "Partnership for Peace" program. After that Safarov took analogous attempt of murder also the second Armenian officer, which, however, was prevented.
According to Larisa Alaverdyan, today the possibility of extradition is above the average. “It's a long process, but the messages that we recently receive, give me reason to assess the probability above the average. We need to be more careful and organized,” said L. Alaverdian.
“We wish to remind Hungary that Safarov is a recidivist, he is a threat to society, even in prison he tried to kill a man, and his mental abilities are assessed below the average. Therefore, I wish to warn them that there was no need to review the level of confidence in their justice at the highest level’, said L. Alaverdian.
Lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan, who defends interests of Gurgen Margaryan's family, noted that during the quadrennial court process she came to the conclusion that Safarov carried out the order of the government.
“Azerbaijan's attempts to set him free did not come to an end with the court decision, and if, before the verdict, there were appeals to kill the Armenians, then after that the anti-Armenian hysteria calmed down, they realized they would be punished for it, nevertheless after that Azerbaijan did not miss a single opportunity to raise the question of Safarov's extradition,” said N. Vardanyan.
Larisa Alaverdyan informed that they are studying the possibility of charging Azerbaijan as an accessory to the crime. “During this time, Azerbaijan didn’t acknowledge Safarov as a criminal, moreover it considered him a hero. In case if he gets the extradition, we are sure, he will not serve his sentence and will become a hero," she said.
The lawyer also stated that in case of extradition Armenian side will not be able to carry out anything as far as it is a matter of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary.
“The authorities should continue the struggle, undertake all necessary measures in order to avoid Safarov’s extradition to Azerbaijan. We all know that there he will escape the liability. In 2005, he was even recognized the Man of the Year in Azerbaijan, which undoubtedly, had an influence over the tough decision of Hungarian court. Hungary should take all those circumstances into account," said Larisa Alaverdyan.
According to lawyer N. Vardanyan, the Justice Ministry, the office of the Ombudsman and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia have a lot of work to do.