Stepanakert: Putting Sirmakes on Interpol wanted list demonstrates real face of Baku

 By putting Swiss citizen Vartan Sirmakes on the Interpol wanted list, Azerbaijan once again demonstrates its real face, David Babayan, Spokesman for the Nagorno-Karabakh President, has told ArmInfo when commenting on Azerbaijan's decision to put Vartan Sirmakes, a Swiss citizen of Armenian descent, on the Interpol wanted list.     

Babayan says that such steps of Baku in the 21st century are neither moral nor democratic. "The international community should respond to these actions of Azerbaijan, especially as Vartan Sirmakes is an ethnic Armenian and has every right to visit both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition, Sirmakes is Armenia's Consul General to Marseilles and Azerbaijan's actions are unacceptable and demonstrate the real face of Baku," says Babayan.      

He stressed that the fascist system of Azerbaijan will get no dividends from such actions, because such actions will only deliver a serious blow to the image of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani people. 

Turan reports that on November 11 the Narimanov District Court of Baku chose arrest as a measure of restraint for citizen of Switzerland Vartan Sirmakes. In order to arrest him, Azerbaijan applied to Interpol.  Earlier, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office applied to Switzerland to bring Vartan Sirmakes, a citizen of Switzerland, to criminal responsibility for illegally visiting Karabakh and conducting business there.  "Sirmakes, a co-founder and CEO of "Franck Muller Group", together with a group of persons, was engaged in illegal economic activities in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Thus, to internationally promote the illegal regime established in the occupied territories, Sirmakes took part in the opening of the gold mine in one of the villages in Nagorno Karabakh without the consent of the relevant state bodies of Azerbaijan. The Investigation Department for Grave Crimes of the Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit under Articles 318.2 (illegal crossing of the border of the Azerbaijan Republic), 281.2 (open calls against the state) and 192.2.2 (illegal business) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan," Turan says. 

To note, Vartan Sirmakes, a Swiss citizen of Armenian descent, is the founder, owner and CEO of Franck Muller Watchland, which has a representation in Armenia. He invests in the Armenian economy and he is also the majority shareholder of ArmSwissBank (80%) and Artsakhbank (25.6%). Sirmakes is going to invest USD 150 million in the Old Yerevan project in Armenia. In addition, a fish breeding enterprise has been set up in Madaghis village of Nagorno Karabakh with the financial support of Vartan Sirmakes. By Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's decree, Vartan Sirmakes has been appointed Armenia's Consul General to France (residence in Marseilles).