Meeting in Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
A special meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council chaired by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II took place in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on September 1.
The Supreme Spiritual Council expressed resentment and concern over the extradition of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov who cruelly killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in 2004 in Budapest and the granting of a pardon to Safarov by Azerbaijani authorities. The Council issued the following statement:
"The Armenian Apostolic Church condemns the transfer of Ramil Safarov by Hungarian authorities to Azerbaijan and the justification of that criminal by granting a pardon to him in accordance with a decision of Azerbaijani President. What happened is yet another manifestation of Armenophobic policy conducted by Azerbaijani authorities. Unfortunately, the Hungary, an EU member state that cherishes moral norms of the European system of values, supported - through blameworthy cooperation -the perfidious plan of freeing the criminal who was declared a hero in Azerbaijan, which is fraught with danger of new ethnically and religiously motivated murders.
We call on the clergy of the Armenian Church, our people spread all over the world to voice their protest before the local spiritual and secular authorities in the name of defending our national rights. We also appeal to our Sister Churches and all religious organizations to condemn this fact and raise their voice in the name of justice and truth".
The Supreme Spiritual Council also asked Catholicos of All Armenians to appeal to heads of states, international and religious organizations, and NGOs in connection with the issue.
