Hungarian PM admits he knew Azeri killer would be releasedSeptember 11, 2012 - 18:30 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán admitted in a closed party meeting last week that he had ordered Ramil Safarov to be transferred back to Azerbaijan despite the fact that he was aware that Safarov would be released sooner or later, Politics.hu reported citing Origo.hu. The Hungarian-language website, which for its part cited two separate unnamed sources close to the government and Fidesz, said Orbán had been repeatedly warned by his fellow party members and advisors of the risks such a move involved but the Prime Minister was looking to make a gesture toward the Azeris in an effort to secure new creditors to buoy up Hungary’s ailing budget. During the meeting, which turned into a heated debate, Orbán acknowledged that he knew “there would be trouble” but expected Safarov to be pardoned only months later for “health reasons.” Despite protests by Tibor Navracsics, the Minister of Public Administration and Justice, and repeated warnings by justice ministry experts, Orbán in August went ahead and ordered the transfer agreement to be signed. Origo said the government politicians it asked for comment agreed that the incident was “awkward” but shared the Prime Minister’s opinion that the best way to handle the situation was to practically ignore the whole case. Gurgen Margaryan On February 19, 2004, Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant, lieutenant Ramil Safarov, in Budapest during a three-month English language course in the framework of Partnership for Peace NATO-sponsored program. In accordance with Budapest District Court sentence dated April 13, 2006, Ramil Safarov was life imprisoned for murdering the Armenian officer. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |