CANBERRA: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) has written to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, calling on Australia to add its voice to international condemnation of the recent actions by the governments of Hungary and Azerbaijan for extraditing and pardoning a convicted murderer.
In 2006, Azeri lieutenant Ramil Safarov was handed to a life sentence for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, who was asleep at the time, while they were both taking part in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in Hungary.
In late August 2012, Hungarian authorities extradited Safarov back to Azerbaijan after receiving “assurances” from Azeri authorities that he would serve the remainder of his sentence in Azerbaijan. However, upon his return to Baku, Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev pardoned Safarov, and he is now being hailed as a national hero.
ANC Australia Executive Director Vache Kahramanian remarked: “The Hungarian government, which justified its extradition decision by referring to the 1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, failed to acknowledge that this same Convention allows for receiving countries to pardon transferred prisoners.”
“We condemn the extradition action by the government of Hungary and call on their government to apologise to Armenia and the Armenian people.”
In addition to the letter to Australia’s Prime Minister, ANC Australia has written to Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr and Australia’s NATO Ambassador, Brendan Nelson, as well as to the Ambassador of Hungary to Australia, Anna Maria Siko.
Kahramanian said: “We condemn the leadership of Azerbaijan, who have once again shown their unwillingness to commit to peace in the Nagorno Karabakh region by rewarding and parading a cold-blooded murderer. Our Armenian brothers and sisters of Nagorno Karabakh have suffered enough.”
He added: “Such actions are an abhorrent violation of judicial norms and we call upon the leaders of Australia to join in our condemnation of Hungary’s and Azerbaijan’s actions.”
“Australia has been an active Partner in NATO and it has the moral obligation to publicly remark on these shocking events.”
ANC Australia has requested a meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador to pass on the deep concerns of the Armenian-Australian community. ANC Australia will make public details after the meeting has been held.
In coming days, ANC Australia will also release details of how Armenian-Australians can add their voices of protest.
