Amnesty International issued the following statement on Sept. 6.
Amnesty International is concerned that the actions of the Azerbaijani government following the extradition of Armed Forces Lieutenant Ramil Safarov will be perceived as an endorsement of ethnically motivated violence.
The organization is concerned that these actions will ignite existing tensions between Azerbaijanis and Armenians and encourage further ethnically motivated violence. It has called on the governments of both countries to publicly condemn violence based on ethnicity.
Safarov, who by his own admission all but decapitated another man in part because he was Armenian, was pardoned and then promoted to major by President Aliyev following his release from prison on Friday.
By pardoning and then promoting Ramil Safarov, President Aliyev has signalled to Azerbaijanis that violence against Armenians is not only acceptable, but rewarded.
The Azerbaijani government should rescind any privileges awarded to Safarov and publicly condemn ethnic violence. The Armenian government must also make clear that retaliation against ethnic Azerbaijanis is not acceptable.
Safarov was sentenced to life in prison by a Budapest Court in 2006 for murdering Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan.
The two were attending a NATO English-language course in Hungary in February 2004 when Safarov broke into Margaryan’s dormitory and attacked him with an axe as he slept, inflicting 16 blows to the head and neck, which almost severed Margaryan’s head.
Safarov admitted to the murder, claiming that Margaryan had insulted his country’s flag. The court found no evidence to support this claim. He said he was sorry he had not had the opportunity to kill any Armenians earlier.
He also said that he was seeking revenge for the death of Azerbaijanis during the 1988-94 conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabagh.
At the time Azerbaijani human rights Ombudswoman Elmira Suleymanova called the sentence “unjust” and said she hoped that Safarov could be extradited to Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani press, including state-owned media outlets, reported on the case as though Safarov was a national hero.
On Fri., Aug. 31, the Hungarian government allowed Safarov to be extradited back to Azerbaijan, claiming to have received assurances that he would serve the remainder of his sentence there.
On his arrival in Baku, Safarov was pardoned, promoted to major, given back pay for the eight years he had spent in prison, and awarded a house.
Azerbaijan is dangerous, period.
The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) have been trying to relay this fact of like to the major international powers for several years, but of course politics and azerbaijan’s oil money has trumped morality and blocked all common sense.
Azerbaijan is a dangerous place, with an even more dangerous government and they play by no rules: moral nor legal.
“At the time Azerbaijani human rights Ombudswoman Elmira Suleymanova called the sentence “unjust” and said she hoped that Safarov could be extradited to Azerbaijan.”
It is completely unacceptable for the Amnesty International to put the above paragraph in its statement.
Why?
Everyone on this planet should be educated as to this hateful event !!!
{The Azerbaijani government should rescind any privileges awarded to Safarov and publicly condemn ethnic violence.}
Is that all Amnesty International ?
Aren’t you being just a little bit too harsh on Azeris ?
{The Armenian government must also make clear that retaliation against ethnic Azerbaijanis is not acceptable.}
What is this ? What the heck is this ?
When was the last time ANY Armenian government agency or employee even hinted at retaliation of individual ethnic Azerbaijanis anywhere ?
Stop sniffing Baku Oil fumes AI: the entire Azerbaijan State apparatus is indoctrinating the people of Azerbaijan, particularly the youth, to hate and despise Armenians: that way they will have no compunction massacring Armenians next time they invade NKR.
RAMİL SAFAROV is not only a hero of Azerbaijan but also of the whole world…
Genis,
When you do not have a real hero, a murderer of sleeping officer becomes your hero.
Hamshen necati,you & your likes only worship murderers as heroes.
Well said Sella:
delusional Turkish denialists imagine the whole World to be populated by Turks like them: their numbers must have grown to 7 Billion overnight.
Avery,
Actually, Turks boast their numbers by calling everyone Turk. I saw a video in Youtube when an Azeri-Turkish or a Turkish lady during her seminar firmly stated that Armenians are Christian Turks.
Genis.. aka idiot and genocidal denialist…
Your statement sounds as if a man eating beast is both a good creature to other beasts and to humans as well.
Ramil is a leunetic who is only hero to other leunetics who plot against Armenia.
And the fact that you say what you do explains your county’s lack of respect and noncivalized mentality spread by your sick leader. Aliev must be arrested along with Tamil and both be punished severely for their sick actions.
Genis, first and foremost, Ramil Safarov is not a hero but a vengeful, racist and a gutless coward because he did not even give his victim, Gurgen Margaryan, a fighting chance to defend himself. Even the wildest of the beasts in the wilderness refrain from attacking their prey in such a manner. That makes Safarov less than an animal and an opportunistic spineless coward.
You mentioned Safarov was provoked by his victim as if justifying every provocation with murder. If such “alleged” provocations are justifications for murder with an axe then let it be known that 10 million Armenians worldwide, each holding an axe, are ready to take revenge on 70 million genocidal Turks for the murder of 1.5 million Armenians and be fully justified for their actions.
People who are provoked react to the provocation instantly at the time the provocation occurred. They don’t wait for hours or even days until their victim is sound sleep and then take an axe to them and murder them in their sleep in cold-blood. That is called pre-planned first degree murder and the perpetrator of the crime should get the capital punishment.
Praising a cold-blooded, axe-murderer of a non-combatant Armenian in his sleep on neutral Hungarian ground attending a language class shows how badly beaten, both physically and psychologically, Azerbaijanis are. It shows how morally-bankrupt and demoralized they are that they need an axe-murderer to lift them up from such insecure state of mind. Most importantly, it shows what a magnificent job the Armenians performed on the battlefield that has and will scar Azerbaijanis for life.
Imbeciles like you who call this sick murderer a hero and glorify such axe murderers are even more of a coward because they get satisfaction from the brutal death of an unarmed, helpless man in his sleep. To praise this killer as a hero for the whole world shows the imaginary world you live in and is a manifestation of your delusional state of mind which requires your prompt visit to the local pharmacy to refill your prescription. Once the drugs you take wear off and still feel as heroic as Safarov I will be more than willing and happy to accommodate you.
These Azeris are so full of hate, they are willing to make a hero out of a convicted criminal terrorist just so they can feel they did something against Armenians. And the funny part? The reason they hate Armenians is based on lies – and in fact they are occupying historic Armenia as we speak.
Vtiger, the ombudswoman, Elmira Suleymanova, was right. The sentence was unjust. Justice would have been a death sentence, not life in prison for 30 years. Isn’t that what they believe?
Armenia and the Armenians are the innocent victims in this dispicable and deplorable situation.
I agree with VTiger.
Furthermore, Amnesty international’s statement ” It called on the governments of both countries to publicly condemn violence based on ethnicity” is absurd and it certainly diminishes the value of the organization.
No one in this planet should equate Armenia with Azerbaijan!
Both ‘Amnesty International’ and ‘EU’
Both worthless aparatuses.
At least they mentioned the following, something not seen in most articles covering this story:
“Safarov admitted to the murder, claiming that Margaryan had insulted his country’s flag. The court found no evidence to support this claim. He said he was sorry he had not had the opportunity to kill any Armenians earlier.”
As a responce we need Khrimian hayrigi yergathe sherep.
Amnesty International is a morally bankrupt organization. Worthless piece of _____!
“On his arrival in Baku, Safarov was pardoned, promoted to Major, given back pay for the eight years he had spent in prison and awarded a house.” This is a revelation of a seek society and its leaders are the true reflection of its people. Appearance should not be deceiving. Azeri society is not much different then the Taliban we have come to know. Taliban destroyed numerous ancient cultural monuments, so did the Azeris, both actions based on hatred, ignorance and intolerance without basic consideration of cultural and human values. In many ways, they are very similar people. The main difference is that they have different style of clothing.
Mr. Ilham Aliev prooved that he haz same turkish blad like Sultan Hamid,Young
Turks.Taliat Pasha and Kemal Ataturk. For them the blood innocent Armenian
is nothing,Thei are dangerus people.Karo
Vercheres arite ounetsa hantibelou mer nakhakahin yev dzanotatsman jamanag esi:’vay yegadz e ayn orvan vor up me hogh gorsentsenenk mer sourp Artsakhen’.
Nakhakahi badaskhannen er:’inchbes gella te im danitss hogh dam’.
We do not trust on anybody except on our strength. Sultan’s act was a gift from heavens & made it very clear to the world who this maniac is.
We are lucky that there are no Azeris living in Artsakh & Armenia, nor any Armenians in aliyevistan. Any future false act by the maniac will be met with extreme response. Long live Armenia & FREE ARTSAKH.
Amnesty international is unaware that the antidote for Azeri haterate and cowardness hasn’t been found yet.
Unfornunately, warning them is not the one.
Amnesty International’s statement of concern, about Baku’s dangerous pardoning of Safarov, is lame and limp wristed. The statement of concern should be directed only at Azerbaijan, and should have nothing to say about Armenia.
Azerbaijan periodically threatens to attack Armenia, as well as its neighboring Armenian region of Karabakh (also known as Artzakh). The Azerbaijani military budget is larger than the entire annual budget of the Republic of Armenia.
The US State Department, periodically issues statements similar to that of Amnesty International, which try to bundle the behavior of Azerbaijan, together with that of Armenia, when Azerbaijan violates the cease fire arrangements. Nothing could be further from the truth, as is evident from the celebratory mood of Azerbaijan, when the ax murderer Safarov was pardoned.
Both Amnesty International and the US State Department must point the finger of blame directly at Azerbaijan; otherwise, Azerbaijan will continue to attack Armenians across the border, with more bellicose threats against Armenia. Azerbaijan has empowered itself to spread hatred against Armenians, which poisons the behavior of its own people.
Well said Laurence..
As long as the oli money flows in these genocidal subhumans veins, US, International Amnesty ask VOID space with empty heads, or Russia will kiss Azeris dirty behinds… and do whatever it takes not to piss them off..
I want to spit on their faces for taking money over morality, human rights, and what is right.. hope they meet the devil when it is time… because all who run after dirty money and disregard human life must face eternal fire in hell.
Talaat Pasha was not only the Interior Minister of the Ottoman Empire, he was also one of the masterminds of the Armenian Genocide. He pre-planned and ordered the systematic murder of 1.5 million Armenian women and children. He was tried and found guilty in absentia by the Turkish government itself. He escaped and was given refuge by his German masters in Berlin. Gurgen Margaryan was a non-combatant Armenian citizen attending a NATO-sponsored English class. You have got to be out of your mind to equate the two. Soghomon Tehlirian, the killer of Talaat pasha was tried by the German court and found not guilty and freed. Ramil Safarov, the killer of Gurgen, was found guilty, given a life sentence, and imprisoned. His freedom was bought at $3.77 billion dollars through bribing the Hungarian officials.
When a potential murderer is bound to commit murder, even if we assume he was allegedly provoked, he would react to the victim’s provocation instinctively and at the moment of rage when the provocation occurred. He would not wait hours or days until after his victim is sleep and then attack him with an axe which makes his murder extremely cruel and personal and pre-meditated. A planned and pre-meditated murder does not occur due to a moment of insanity and it is first degree murder deserving capital punishment.
The Azerbaijanis and the Armenians were not at war at the time this murder occurred therefore Ramil Safarov is not only not a hero but a racist coward because his intention was to kill any Armenian to relieve himself of the rage and the humiliation of the defeat he was feeling.
Wars don’t have any honorable rules when two armies face each other. Often times, if not always, wounded enemy soldiers who are no longer a threat and can’t fight back are shot to death. Where is the honor in that? Prisoners are tortured to death, where is the honor in that?
It is easy for Turks to speak about a so-called “classic” war when their population is 25 times that of Armenia, they have one of the largest NATO armies, and that they have been building their armies since 1923. I wonder if they would speak of such a war if Armenia was a nuclear state, like Israel is and over 300 million rich Arabs with deep pockets and oil fields that run this world are unable to touch.
genis
how on earth can you say that Safarov is a hero? Or is this the only thing you can say on the matter?
he can say it because people like you go around the world and around the blogosphere Denying the Armenian Genocide.
people like you are enablers for the likes of Genis.
“disposed of”: who wrote that ?
Dear Mr. Naess ,
I know AW will censor me if i write everything why i consider him as a hero. So , i will select my words so careful that AW will like it.
What is going on between Armenians and Turks including Azerbaijani Turks is an endless war . Starting from the decline period of Ottoman Empire, this war was sometimes a military front war, other times politic propaganda and some assasination of diplomats.
I am sure you know what happened to the Armenian killer of Talat Paşa. The case of Seferov can be a revenge ?
I will not mention about how the Armenian provoked Seferov before killed. Everything is known by all .
If we accept that the war between two nation is real, then Ramil is a hero . Just like the killer of Talat Pasha is a hero for Armenians.
I would, on the other hand, prefer a clasic military war which has its own rules of honor.
And Necati saaaays:
“I am sure you know what happened to the Armenian killer of Talat Paşa. The case of Seferov can be a revenge ?”
No, Talat had blood on his hands and was responsible for unleashing the death marches and massacres. He was guilty and walking free in Berlin. No comparison with Safaraov case.
“I will not mention about how the Armenian provoked Seferov before killed. Everything is known by all .
If we accept that the war between two nation is real, then Ramil is a hero . Just like the killer of Talat Pasha is a hero for Armenians. ”
This is unproven and the Hungarian court that was trying Safarov did not accept his claims as credible. Even then, that’s not a morally justifiable reason to kill Gurgen Margaryan (that’s the name of the Armenian by the way). Again no comparison between Gurgen and Talat.
“I would, on the other hand, prefer a clasic military war which has its own rules of honor.”
Turkey has a population of 70+ million people. Armenia has just barely 3 million. What a brave and honorable war it would be for Turkey.
It’s time to just face the truth that Aliyev is genocidal towards armenians and an obstruction to progress and that the country needs a regime change (if only to protect “western interests” and investments). Only a madman would return Armenian inhabited areas to their control. Their word on any agreement is now, worthless,negotiations, futile and arming them should be a crime.
Where’s the response from our new ambassador to Azerbaijan, mr Morningstar?
Following this travesty, we demand that he take a drive out to where the desecrated Armenian graveyards are to document the fact that we are dealing with a rogue, wanna-be-genocidal nation which has no respect for either human rights or international law. We’re waiting for your response, Mr Ambassador, while we watch US/nato foreign policy melt-down somewhere between Aleppo and Baku.
Necti,
I guess to your country someone killing another in his sleep far away from battlefield is a hero and gets to be pardoned promoted and greeted.
Maybe if your God helps we must exterdite Manson, Ramirez, and if we catch him, the Zodiac killer to Azerbaijan so that they live a normal life with some perks. At least they know and admit they are wrong and deserve better than the completely leunetic ax killer from your town who showed cowerdness when commuting the heinous crime and continues to do so along with his comander in chief if the psychos, Alive.
Ok Necati,
you have given an answer. Then I take it that you believe in war as a predicament in which anything is allowed, and any murder creates heros as long as the murder is committed with reference to the war. OK, you have a right to have an opinion. Needless to say this goes against any idea of human rights and what is deemed as common decency. Even countries that in many cases disregard human rights feel constrained to pay lip service to human rights. Are you sure you are not a very lonely man in this conviction of yours? Who in Turkey will support you in this? About Azerbaijan I know very little, apart from having an azerbaijani man and his Belorussian wife an their little son as tenants in my house until recently. He is a very nice man born in Sumgait and he deplored the murder of Armenians and said that in his childhood he had many Armenian neighbours with which he was on good terms. -but today they are all gone. Is he a traitor according to your ideas? But the Safarov affair to my mind marks Azerbaijan as a very dangerous country
Random Armenian
and the Turkish diplomats and their wives that were killed? Had they blood on their hands?
ragnar naess, and millions of forcibly deported and savagely killed and mutilated Armenian men, women, children, and the elders? have they blood on their hands?
how do we know the Turkish diplomats were killed by Armenians ?
how do we know the Turkish diplomats were killed at all ?
how do we know they were Turkish ? is there any proof ? any DNA tests ?
maybe they were being moved to one place or another, and they died on the way of old age or some disease.
Or maybe they were collaborating with the enemy, that is why they were killed.
Using words such as “blood”, ”assassination” etc should not figure prominently in Turkophile accusations against ASALA: there is real debate if ASALA existed at all, or that any Turkish diplomats died.
If the Denialist can justify the extermination of 1.5 million Armenian civilians (from 1915 onward) on the charge that (some) Armenians supported the Imperial Russian troops, why is it not similarly justifiable to assassinate agents of the Turkish State who are engaged in a conspiracy to Obstruct Justice ? ( a US Federal felony-level crime). IF there were any assassinations: there is real debate there were any assassinations at all.
Here is the Denialist in his own words:
{I agree that the word “genocide” should not figure as prominently in the Armenian accusations against Turkey as it does. However, to simply scrap the word does not make sense. There is a real debate on whether a genocide occurred.} (Rangar Naess @Hurriyet 2011-9-12)
Sure is: there is real debate that ASALA existed at all, much less assassinated anyone.
Yeah…. pretty sure ASALA was real. Isn’t there an ASALA monument in the Yerablur cemetery in Yerevan? Or do you think Armenia is also in on this conspiracy theory?
Oh wait. Nevermind. Missed the sarcasm. Carry on Avery, carry on.
Avery,
You are genius! Nothing more, nothing less.
Maybe we should borrow the infamous Turkish ”so called” and apply it to them-so called assassinated Turkish diplomats.
ragnar naess,
No they did not (as far as I know, given the decades they were killed), but I was addressing Necati’s specific points and my points are valid. It’s interesting that Necati would bring up Talat Pasha, instead of the diplomats, in comparison to Gurgen, the Armenian officer who was killed. It shows who Necati’s heroes are and how he thinks (not that we didn’t know that already).
Summary : A soldier kills another soldier of his enemies.
Oh Necati, you should be so proud of the Azeri soldier, killing a man in his sleep…
So brave, a brazen act, an act of valor. Long live castrated Azeri and Turkish soldiers.
In the battlefield, Necati, man to man, eye to eye, and while awake?
“If we accept that the war between two nations is real, then Ramil is a hero.” – says necati genis the Turk. Then, by the same token, if we accept the war between the colonizing Ottoman empire and many colonized nations of the Balkans was real, then whatever the colonized did to expel and kill the loathed Turks for the national independence of their countries is heroism on their part. But, in contrast to coward Azeri Turks or Turks mass murdering defenseless women and children, they fought as honorable men, when awake, and on the battlefield.
Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, and Minister of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Vilayat Zahirov, thay are a human cancer”
What a beautiful comment from Mine Ozcelik Bagrationi to our nutcase necati:
Mine Ozcelik Bagrationi, 21 September 2012 , 22:15
necati, my simple minded and covertly ignorant brother. I will answer to your “rape” question. It was Not the Armenians who are accusing You for raping the young women and children during the Armenian Genocide, but 128 German military trainers (including generals) for the Ottoman armies, who after seeing the disgusting atrocities of rapes, informed the German high command in Berlin about the savagery of our soldiers. There on the Dardanelle front, Turkish Armenian and Greeks soldiers were fighting valiantly against the British onslaught and holding them in their trenches, back in eastern Turkey, the mothers, wives and daughters of the exact same Greek and Armenian soldiers were being raped, molested and killed. None of my Ozcelik family members took part in the heinous atrocities, however, there are ample proof that the Genis clan engaged in raping, looting and killing of Armenians, and that is where, us two Turks,our paths divurge. The Ozcelik family helped their Armenian neighbors hide and run away, the Genis family actively participated raping and killing their Armenian neighbors. And for that, the Ozcelik family is respected and loved in Turkey and in all places where Armenians and Greeks live. Thousands of Turks helped hide their Armenian neighbors, your family decided to participate in the pogroms. As for your ethnicity, you need to educate yourself better. Maybe we have 5%-10% of our Turkic genes, the rest my friend are of Armenian, Serbian and Greek genes. Good day, if you learn something, however small it may be, every day, you will achieve enlightenment and I assure you that you necati, to be completely free of IGNORANCE.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-292955-how-alevi-victims-became-criminal-offenders.html
Armenia must strengthen its intelligence about Azerbaijan’s activities internationally or domestically. We can’t afford letting them get away with more. Their oil isn’t enough for their appetite, they want more.
By predicting their move we can sabotage their missions to harm Our small nation, which used to be vast historically.
Our governmentust also make sure to cooperate with the righ nations in order to promote support for our cause, and increase ouTr international influence.
This will require an Independant decision by our government, without counsulting from other countries.
Azeri government benefits from politics of the region which involves Isreal, Iran,
And Turkey mainly. And other major players are, Russia, US, NATO.
Their positioning north of Iran and east of Caspian sea makes Azerbaijan a tasety treat for military operations against Iran.
Armenia must be proactively peruse strengthening its political representation and position in the region and internationally on its own terms and improve country year to year in order to stand up to the aggressor Azerbaijan to the east.
Genis, you are truly a great representative of turkic mindset, you honor your ancestors and their vilont acts of mass murder against 3M Christians.We dont excpect any less from your and your kind.
To the editor:
You would do well by not calling “Karabagh” Artsakh Disputed Territory. Karabagh is not disputed at all, it is the heart of ancient Armenia, it was and will be always Armenian and even under occupation it was not disputed, much like Western Armenia. By calling it disputed you put doubt in the minds of younger readers. It is disputed by those that we liberated our lands from, the turks & azeris