Lawyer: Armenia must do utmost to prevent Safarov’s extradition to AzerbaijanAugust 30, 2012 - 18:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia must take every possible step to prevent extradition of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan’s assassin Ramil Safarov, lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan said. As she noted, neither Armenia, nor Hungary will be able to act in case of Safarov’s extradition and release. In this context, Ms. Vardanyan noted that Safarov’s extradition will imply his release from punishment, given the fact that he is considered a “national hero” in Azerbaijan. RA first human rights defender Larisa Alaverdyan, in turn, noted that over 80 NGOs launched a signature campaign to prevent Safarov’s extradition. She further called on Armenian ministries particularly foreign ministry to activate steps on the issue and find out if Safarov’s extradition process has started. 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 NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace program. On April 13, 2006, Budapest District Court sentenced Safarov to life in prison for murdering Margaryan. On February 22, 2007, Budapest Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against the verdict, precluding possibility of pardon for the initial 30 years. By a decree of then-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, officer Margaryan was awarded with a posthumous Medal for Courage on February 19, 2005. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |