Armenian Parliamentarian Naira Karapetyan. (Source: Armenpress)
STRASBOURG—During a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Commission on Tuesday, Armenia’s Member of Parliament Naira Karapetyan outlined the aggressive policies being carried by Azerbaijan against Armenians. She also highlighted official Baku’s anti-Armenian policies that foment hatred domestically in Azerbaijan.
Karapetyan began her speech signifying that racism and intolerance are enemies to all people and that Europe should continue with efforts to prevent its development. She, however, believes that in the Council of Europe, there are still “member states with regimes which use strong wording of intolerance, strong wording of racism towards ethnics, nationalities, other countries, distributing so called horror and shaking spears towards other countries.”
In her speech, she presented the latest report of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on Azerbaijan. In Article 25 of the report, Karapetyan read “An entire generation of Azerbaijanis has now grown up listening to constant rhetoric of Armenian aggression. According to a 2012 survey, 91% perceived Armenia as Azerbaijan’s greatest enemy.”
The report also read that “According to other sources, there is a conflict-ridden domestic political discourse and Azerbaijan’s leadership, education system and media are very prolific in their denigration of Armenians. Political opponents are accused of having Armenian roots or of receiving funds from Armenian sources.”
Karapetyan noted that “It is not a surprise for the Council of Europe, that ECRI in its report also mentions the Ramil Safarov case; the case, which was a basis for the PACE report Doc. 13540 by Chope, ‘Measures to prevent abusive use of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.’”
The Member of Parliament emphasized that Safarov, an Azeri military officer, killed his Armenian colleague Gurgen Margaryan only for the reason of being Armenian.
“Shortly after Hungarian prison…Ramil Safarov was promoted to the rank of major, given a flat and the pay he had lost since his arrest in Hungary. He was glorified as a hero by president Aliyev.”
“The ECRI’s press release pointed out the risk that such action could cultivate a sense of impunity for the perpetrators of racist crimes of the most serious nature.”
It was noted by Karapetyan that a month ago, an Azerbaijani military officer beheaded an Armenian soldier, Kyaram Sloyan, who was again glorified and awarded by President Aliyev.
Stressing that racism stems from high ranking officials, Karapetyan quoted one of Aliyev’s speeches: “There are also forces that don’t like us, don’t like our achievements; they are our evil-wishers…the world-spread Armenians and bribed and corrupted politicians that are under their lobby.”
Karapetyan concluded her speech by calling on PACE to end Nazism, racism and intolerance, and to stop the Aliyev regime.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Armenia’s Rep. to PACE Outlines Azerbaijani Aggression