Not all NGOs of NKR support statements of Council of NGOs on Safarov's case

Representatives of some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) object to the attempts of the oppose efforts of the Council of NGOs to represent the entire third sector of the republic in the case of pardoning the Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov. In particular, activists are against introduction of moratorium on Armenian-Azerbaijani meetings within regional projects.

Let us remind you that on September 1 in Stepanakert the Council of NGOs of the NKR demanded from the European Union (EU) to express its attitude to the decision of the authorities of Hungary to extradite Ramil Safarov, who had been sentenced for life for murdering an Armenian officer, but later given out to Azerbaijan and immediately pardoned there. On September 4, an extraordinary Forum of the NGOs of Nagorno-Karabakh was convened, where it was decided to request from the EU to convoke a conference of South-Caucasian NGOs in order to discuss the "issues of new challenges and security problems in peacemaking programmes."

Masis Mailyan, Chairman of the Public Council for Foreign and Security Policy of the NKR, who was not present at the Forum of NGOs, said that he had learnt "from media footages and communication with colleagues that the text of the resolution of the forum was agreed with five members, including three NGO heads."

Mr Mailyan did not name these people, but noted that he found appropriate "the first part of the resolution of the Council of NGOs of September 1," but he could not agree with the "part, which is aimed at international isolation of the NKR."

"My position was expressed to the organizer of the second meeting and published on the social network Facebook," said Mailyan.

In particular, he wrote that "if we follow the logic of the author or authors of the statement of September 1, the NGOs of Artsakh should urge the Armenian authorities to suspend Armenia's membership in the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and other international organizations, where Hungary is also a member."

"However, our goal should be not self-isolation of the NKR and the Republic of Armenia, but creation of tough political conditions for the Hungarian government, which had entered a criminal deal with Baku," said Mailyan.

Gegam Bagdasaryan, President of the Stepanakert Press Club, wrote on his Facebook page, commenting on the decision of September 1 and forum resolution of September 4, that "the Stepanakert Press Club has nothing to do with them." "It would be more honest for the audience to speak on behalf of their organizations, not on behalf of the non-existent structures - the so-called Council of NGOs. It's inadmissible that a group of people acts on behalf of the whole third sector," he said.

Karen Oganjanyan, Coordinator of the Nagorno-Karabakh Committee "Helsinki Initiative-92", said that "the Council of NGOs is an unnecessary structure," and that he could not agree with the statement adopted by this structure. "I think this is a pro-government structure that has nothing to do with NGOs," he said.

Let us note here that the NKR has registered over 170 NGOs; about 50 of them work at full swing. The September 4 Forum of NGOs was attended by 15 persons - chairs and representatives of the "Centre for International Cooperation", "Institute of People's Diplomacy", "Union of Christian Youth", "Educational Training Centre", "Centre for Civil Initiatives", "Traditions", Union of Artsakh Refugees and "Aiki Serund".