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ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 1, 2012 Saturday 02:38 AM GMT+4
Hungary's repatriation of convicted Azerbaijani officer legitimate - Baku
BAKU September 1
Hungary's repatriation of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, jailed
for life, was carried out on the basis of the European convention on
the extradition of convicts, Azerbaijani presidential staff official
told the local media on Friday.
Fuad Aleskerov, the chief of law enforcement agencies relations
department, recalled that Azerbaijan had joined the convention back in
2000.
"Under the clauses of that convention contacts were established with
the Hungarian government agencies concerned and intensive negotiations
held on Ramil Safarov's repatriation," Aleskerov said. He said that
under the convention "any signatory is free to pardon or amnesty the
extradited person or to ease punishment in accordance with its own
constitution or other legal acts."
Ramil Safarov has already served more than eight years of his term.
Under item 22 of article 109 of the Azerbaijani constitution the
question of his pardon is the exclusive prerogative of the head of
state. The president displayed great humanism to use this power of
his," Aleskerov said.
He acknowledged that there had existed certain problems over Hungary's
decision to repatriate Safarov, because "the process was politicized
by the Armenian side from the outset." Besides, as follows from what
Aleskerov said, Safarov's trial was accompanied by great procedural
violations.
"During the investigation he had to testify in Russian, although his
knowledge of the language is poor. During the preliminary questioning
he had no lawyer, and the bill of indictment was presented in
Turkish," he said.
While undergoing instruction at NATO's courses in Budapest in 2004,
senior lieutenant Safarov killed Armenian army serviceman Gurgen
Markarian, who, he claimed, had insulted the Azerbaijani flag. In
April 2006 a court in Budapest sentenced Safarov to the life
imprisonment. On Friday he was extradited to Baku, where he was
pardoned and set free.
Earlier, Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan said that Yerevan had
suspended diplomatic relations and all official contacts with Hungary
in response to Budapest's decision to repatriate Safarov.
September 1, 2012 Saturday 02:38 AM GMT+4
Hungary's repatriation of convicted Azerbaijani officer legitimate - Baku
BAKU September 1
Hungary's repatriation of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, jailed
for life, was carried out on the basis of the European convention on
the extradition of convicts, Azerbaijani presidential staff official
told the local media on Friday.
Fuad Aleskerov, the chief of law enforcement agencies relations
department, recalled that Azerbaijan had joined the convention back in
2000.
"Under the clauses of that convention contacts were established with
the Hungarian government agencies concerned and intensive negotiations
held on Ramil Safarov's repatriation," Aleskerov said. He said that
under the convention "any signatory is free to pardon or amnesty the
extradited person or to ease punishment in accordance with its own
constitution or other legal acts."
Ramil Safarov has already served more than eight years of his term.
Under item 22 of article 109 of the Azerbaijani constitution the
question of his pardon is the exclusive prerogative of the head of
state. The president displayed great humanism to use this power of
his," Aleskerov said.
He acknowledged that there had existed certain problems over Hungary's
decision to repatriate Safarov, because "the process was politicized
by the Armenian side from the outset." Besides, as follows from what
Aleskerov said, Safarov's trial was accompanied by great procedural
violations.
"During the investigation he had to testify in Russian, although his
knowledge of the language is poor. During the preliminary questioning
he had no lawyer, and the bill of indictment was presented in
Turkish," he said.
While undergoing instruction at NATO's courses in Budapest in 2004,
senior lieutenant Safarov killed Armenian army serviceman Gurgen
Markarian, who, he claimed, had insulted the Azerbaijani flag. In
April 2006 a court in Budapest sentenced Safarov to the life
imprisonment. On Friday he was extradited to Baku, where he was
pardoned and set free.
Earlier, Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan said that Yerevan had
suspended diplomatic relations and all official contacts with Hungary
in response to Budapest's decision to repatriate Safarov.