April 21, 2004 - 22:53 AMT
ARMENIANS CANNOT LIVE IN BAKU, AZERI POLITICIANS CONSIDER
Representative Office of the UN Supreme Commissariat for Refugees' Issues in Azerbaijan refused to grant the refugee status to two Armenians, who arrived in Baku in search of "asylum". As reported by 525 Azeri newspaper, the UN experts motivated the refusal by the fact that they both were born in Baku, thus compelling them to stay in the Azerbaijani capital. To remind, April 8 Terian and Apresian illegally entered Azerbaijan, explaining their escape from Armenia by "the gravity of the economic conditions, danger of war and latest developments in Armenia". They expressed desire to leave Azerbaijan for a third country. Meanwhile, as reported by the newspaper, Azeri political scientists and public figures hold the opinion that taking into consideration the present situation "Armenians cannot live in Baku". In the words of the head of the Center of Political Innovations and Technologies Mubariz Ahmedoglu, "the UN Supreme Commissariat for Refugees' Issues should immediately send Roman Terian and Arthur Apresian, who illegally slipped across the Azeri border, to one of the European countries" adding that "the return of Armenians to Baku for permanent residence is possible only in case Armenia quits the Azeri territories without any conditions". Head of the Organization for Karabakh Liberation Akif Nagi also censured the return of two Armenians to Baku. He said, in part, "According to the data available, Armenians arrive in Baku using different names. We should not allow that. Though Armenians are our neighbors, they have long since been pursuing the policy of Genocide towards the Azeri people". In Nagi's opinion, the Armenians, who arrived in Azerbaijan through shady channels must be immediately expelled from the country. "The fact that our officer murdered an Armenian serviceman this February once again proves that people of Armenian origin cannot reside in Baku", the Azeri politician said.