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TOP OFFICIAL: RAMIL SAFAROV'S RETURN POSSIBLE THANKS TO AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT'S POLITICAL WILL AND PERSONAL AUTHORITY
Trend
Aug 31 2012
Azerbaijan
The homecoming of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov is a bold step
by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who demonstrates that he as
the head of state and commander-in-chief stands behind every citizen
of Azerbaijan, every soldier and officer, Head of the Department on
Work with Law-Enforcement Agencies of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Fuad Alasgarov told Azerbaijani media on Friday.
"As you know, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is always keen to
ensure the rights and interests of citizens of Azerbaijan, regardless
of where they are in the world. One of such citizens is Ramil Safarov.
In 2006, Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Budapest
capital court for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan, who insulted flag
and the people of Azerbaijan, when he was at the NATO training courses
in Hungary 2004. The verdict read that he would be eligible for parole
only after 30 years of imprisonment.
Safarov was delivered to Baku today at 13:40 by special flight of
Azerbaijan Airlines and was pardoned by the order of the President
of Azerbaijan today," the representative of the Presidential
Administration said.
Alasgarov said the return of Ramil Safarov was done on the basis of
the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
Azerbaijan acceded to this Convention in 2000.
"The convention reflects the conditions of extradition of the
convicted person to serve the sentence in another country, fixes
effects of this legal action for the country that gave the verdict,
and for the country, which the person is transferred to, the
provisions governing the rules of relevant applications and answers
to them. According to the Convention, contacts were established
with the relevant authorities of Hungary and intensive negotiations
on the extradition of Ramil Safarov were held. The outcome of long
preparatory work was an official request, reflecting the terms of
the extradition to Azerbaijan of Safarov, sent by the Ministry of
Justice of Azerbaijan to the Ministry of Public Administration and
Justice of Hungary. Immediately after receiving a positive response
from Hungary the process of solving technical issues on return of
the officer to Baku started," the head of the department said.
He said there were some problems in the process of Safarov's return,
because from the very beginning, the issue was politicized.
"The Armenian lobby seriously impeded his extradition to Azerbaijan. I
would like to point out that all this time the question of extradition
of Ramil Safarov to the country was constantly under the personal
supervision of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. In this regard,
the head of state held high-level talks, by his order all the necessary
measures to address this issue were carried out," Alasgarov said.
He stressed that in the end Ramil Safarov's return to his homeland
became possible only thanks to the political will and personal
authority in the international arena of President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, who has always demonstrated principle stand in protecting
the rights and interests of the citizens of Azerbaijan.
Alasgarov, refraining from expressing an opinion on the fairness of
the trial of another country, noted that Ramil Safarov during court
proceedings has repeatedly talked about the context of the event.
"Ramil Safarov, a native of the Jabrail region occupied by the
Armenians, is an IDP. He lost a lot of close friends, and these
tragedies took place before his eyes, ran into his childhood memories.
One can imagine the emotional state of a person who lived through all
these tragedies as a child, as a result of permanent provocations
against him by the Armenian officers, insults to the flag and the
people of Azerbaijan at NATO exercises in which he participated
as an officer of the Azerbaijani army," the representative of the
Presidential Administration said.
Alasgarov noted that Safarov's lawyers during the trial repeatedly
petitioned for violation of his right to defense. Thus, in the
course of the investigation, his testimony was taken in Russian,
which he knew not well, during the preliminary hearing the officer
was not provided with a lawyer, and the indictment was presented
in the Turkish language. The lawyers filed complaints and petitions
regarding other serious procedural violations as well.
Alasgarov said under the provisions of the European Convention on
the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, any country that is a party to
the agreement may apply amnesty or reduce sentences, in accordance
with its constitution or other legislation pardon extradited person.
"Ramil Safarov has served more than eight years of his sentence.
According to Article 109.22 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan his
pardon is an exclusive right of the President, and President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, showing great humanism, used these powers.
This bold step of the head of state demonstrates that he as the
President of Azerbaijan and the Supreme Commander stands behind every
citizen of Azerbaijan, every soldier and officer. This is also a call
for Azerbaijani people's unity against the enemy," Alasgarov said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Trend
Aug 31 2012
Azerbaijan
The homecoming of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov is a bold step
by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who demonstrates that he as
the head of state and commander-in-chief stands behind every citizen
of Azerbaijan, every soldier and officer, Head of the Department on
Work with Law-Enforcement Agencies of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Fuad Alasgarov told Azerbaijani media on Friday.
"As you know, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is always keen to
ensure the rights and interests of citizens of Azerbaijan, regardless
of where they are in the world. One of such citizens is Ramil Safarov.
In 2006, Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Budapest
capital court for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan, who insulted flag
and the people of Azerbaijan, when he was at the NATO training courses
in Hungary 2004. The verdict read that he would be eligible for parole
only after 30 years of imprisonment.
Safarov was delivered to Baku today at 13:40 by special flight of
Azerbaijan Airlines and was pardoned by the order of the President
of Azerbaijan today," the representative of the Presidential
Administration said.
Alasgarov said the return of Ramil Safarov was done on the basis of
the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
Azerbaijan acceded to this Convention in 2000.
"The convention reflects the conditions of extradition of the
convicted person to serve the sentence in another country, fixes
effects of this legal action for the country that gave the verdict,
and for the country, which the person is transferred to, the
provisions governing the rules of relevant applications and answers
to them. According to the Convention, contacts were established
with the relevant authorities of Hungary and intensive negotiations
on the extradition of Ramil Safarov were held. The outcome of long
preparatory work was an official request, reflecting the terms of
the extradition to Azerbaijan of Safarov, sent by the Ministry of
Justice of Azerbaijan to the Ministry of Public Administration and
Justice of Hungary. Immediately after receiving a positive response
from Hungary the process of solving technical issues on return of
the officer to Baku started," the head of the department said.
He said there were some problems in the process of Safarov's return,
because from the very beginning, the issue was politicized.
"The Armenian lobby seriously impeded his extradition to Azerbaijan. I
would like to point out that all this time the question of extradition
of Ramil Safarov to the country was constantly under the personal
supervision of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. In this regard,
the head of state held high-level talks, by his order all the necessary
measures to address this issue were carried out," Alasgarov said.
He stressed that in the end Ramil Safarov's return to his homeland
became possible only thanks to the political will and personal
authority in the international arena of President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, who has always demonstrated principle stand in protecting
the rights and interests of the citizens of Azerbaijan.
Alasgarov, refraining from expressing an opinion on the fairness of
the trial of another country, noted that Ramil Safarov during court
proceedings has repeatedly talked about the context of the event.
"Ramil Safarov, a native of the Jabrail region occupied by the
Armenians, is an IDP. He lost a lot of close friends, and these
tragedies took place before his eyes, ran into his childhood memories.
One can imagine the emotional state of a person who lived through all
these tragedies as a child, as a result of permanent provocations
against him by the Armenian officers, insults to the flag and the
people of Azerbaijan at NATO exercises in which he participated
as an officer of the Azerbaijani army," the representative of the
Presidential Administration said.
Alasgarov noted that Safarov's lawyers during the trial repeatedly
petitioned for violation of his right to defense. Thus, in the
course of the investigation, his testimony was taken in Russian,
which he knew not well, during the preliminary hearing the officer
was not provided with a lawyer, and the indictment was presented
in the Turkish language. The lawyers filed complaints and petitions
regarding other serious procedural violations as well.
Alasgarov said under the provisions of the European Convention on
the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, any country that is a party to
the agreement may apply amnesty or reduce sentences, in accordance
with its constitution or other legislation pardon extradited person.
"Ramil Safarov has served more than eight years of his sentence.
According to Article 109.22 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan his
pardon is an exclusive right of the President, and President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, showing great humanism, used these powers.
This bold step of the head of state demonstrates that he as the
President of Azerbaijan and the Supreme Commander stands behind every
citizen of Azerbaijan, every soldier and officer. This is also a call
for Azerbaijani people's unity against the enemy," Alasgarov said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress