Exclusive interview of Trend with the head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol in Azerbaijan
Question: How do you estimate the results of the second meeting of the working group held in Baku early this February under Kalkan project?
Answer: First Id note that the meeting was dedicated to the development of some proposals targeting struggle with dangerous types of organized crime, such as terrorism.
It was a significant event and organization of such a forum in Azerbaijan testifies for the high level confidence on the Azerbaijani government and its law-enforcement bodies by the General Secretariat of Interpol.
In particular, the Interior Minister, Colonel General Ramil Usubov, attached special importance to convening of a high level meeting.
The similar gathering was held in Kazakhstan last year with representative from only 13 member-states of Interpol. The Baku meeting, however, brought together 58 delegates from 26 countries, including Azerbaijan.
The key objective of the forum was to design proposals on consolidation of efforts of the member-states of Interpol for struggle with terror, development of some proposals in the sphere of expansion of exchange of information in the sphere of definition of place of people in search and their arrest.
Question: What is the essence of the proposals?
Answer: Unfortunately, it is dealt with the especially serious types of crimes, and proposala designed in this respect are of confidential character.
As soon as the General Secretariat of Interpol gets familiar with the proposals they will be forwarded to all members of the organization under the grief of confidential. If the countries regard the proposals expedient, the methods proposed will be applied in practice.
Question: Did do you make any remarks to the forum on the Armenian terror?
Answer: Taking the advantage of the situation I repeatedly used the tribune to raise the issue, informed the participants in the forum about the terror acts perpetrated by the Armenian terrorists at Baku subway stations and different facilities in 1992-1994.
I cited the name of Zori Balayan, who is suspected being a party to a blast in subway station in 1994. I stressed that failure in arrest of Zori Balayan evolved definite problems for investigation bodies of Azerbaijan.
I felt that the participants in the gathering, who represented member-states of Interpol did not hold enough information in this respect.
Besides, as a participant of some rescue work I could describe the horrors of the terror act that I witnessed.
I want to note that the terror is not an ordinary crime and targets pressuring on governmental bodies and changing the state policy. So, the crimes that I noted actually aimed at directing the will of the government and people in the desired direction. However, thanks to wise policy of great national leader, former late President Heydar Aliyev and under the leadership of Interior Minister Usubov the crimes were revealed and many people guilty made answerable. The stability was established in the country.
Question: What other problems did the gathering mull?
Answer: We held comprehensive discussions on the problems of kamikaze. As all know, kamikaze are women or men dressed in explosives, who attack mainly on state officers or the heads of state. This is the most dangerous type of terror and the same time great problem for Interpol.
Question: How do you estimate the activities of the Azerbaijani law-enforcement bodies in the sphere of combating the terror and arrest of terrorists?
Answer: Id like to tell you one story. The law-enforcement bodies of several countries worked over the arrest of a criminal, who perpetrated numerous terrorist acts in several countries.
He moved in the territories of Germany, UK, Azerbaijan, and Iraq. However, his activities were ceased in Azerbaijan. Thanks to our professional skills we arrested the terrorist. I hope it will be the best answer to your question.
Question: What countries are more imposed to terror?
Answer: Almost all countries are concerned on terror, while we are especially concerned on terror acts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Question: As the Prosecutor Generals Office announced, the lawsuits were filed on people of Armenian nationality, who perpetrated crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh?
Answer: Indeed, in November-December 2005 the Prosecutor Generals Office forwarded materials to the National Central Bureau of Interpol in Azerbaijan for organization of international search of people of Armenian nationality for crimes committed in 1991-1993.
As you know, Article 3 of the Charter of Interpol does not the organization of the search of people charged in accordance with the national, rice, political and military articles. However, the materials submitted to the Prosecutor Generals Office are special cases, as it is dealt with a criminal dressed in military uniform and murdering unarmed and defenseless people, expectant mothers, the old and children.
The criminals are not regarded as limitations, which Article 3 implies. In this case it is dealt with the international legal estimation.