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AZERBAIJAN CRITICIZED FOR FREEING CONVICTED KILLER
RTT News
Sept 4 2012
(RTTNews) - The European Union, United States and Russia have
criticized Azerbaijan for freeing a convicted murderer after his
extradition from Hungary, and expressed concerns over its possible
impact on the international efforts aimed at bringing peace to the
central Asian region.
In a joint statement on Monday, EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine
Ashton and Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighborhood Policy, expressed concerns over the move by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to pardon the Azerbaijani military officer
convicted of hacking an Armenian officer to death in Budapest eight
years ago.
The Azeri serviceman, Ramil Safarov, was sentenced to life imprisonment
by the Budapest City Court in 2006 after he confessed to killing
Armenian officer, Lt. Gurgen Markarian, with an axe while the two
men were in Hungary for attending a NATO language course in 2004.
Ashton and Fule noted in their joint statement that Safarov was
transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan on the "basis of an Azerbaijani
request, in the framework of the Convention of Strasbourg on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons of 21 March 1983, to serve the rest of
his sentence."
Stressing that EU representatives are in contact with the relevant
authorities and will continue to follow the situation closely, the
two EU officials urged "Azerbaijan and Armenia to exercise restraint,
on the ground as well as in public statements, in order to prevent
an escalation of the situation." They also called on the two nations
to act responsibly in the interest of regional stability and on-going
efforts towards reconciliation.
Russia also expressed "deep concern" over the extradition and pardon,
saying: "We believe that these actions of Azerbaijani as well as
Hungarian authorities contradict internationally brokered efforts, of
the OSCE's Minsk group in particular, to ease tensions in the region."
Separately, the co-chairs of the Minsk group expressed their "deep
concern and regret for the damage the pardon and any attempts to
glorify the crime have done to the peace process and trust between
the sides." Further, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "deeply
concerned" about the incident.
Safarov was sent back to Azerbaijan on Friday after Budapest received
assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that Safarov's
sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25 years,
would be enforced in his home nation.
Despite the assurances provided, Safarov was pardoned by President
Ilham Aliyev soon after his arrival in the capital Baku on Friday. In
addition, he was promoted to the rank of Major, given an apartment
and all the pay he had lost since his arrest eight years ago.
In retaliation to Hungary's decision to transfer Safarov to Azerbaijan
and his subsequent release by authorities there, Armenia on Sunday
announced its decision to immediately suspend all diplomatic relations
with Budapest.
In an apparent warning to Azerbaijan, Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian said: "We don't want a war, but if we have to, we will
fight and win. We are not afraid of killers, even if they enjoy the
protection of the head of state."
Incidentally, Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet republics,
had fought a war over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in the
1990s. Armenian troops are currently occupying the enclave after they
helped Armenian separatists to seize control from Azerbaijan in the
early 1990s. The war for the enclave resulted in the death of nearly
30,000 people and forced two million others to flee their homes.
Although the two countries signed a cease-fire agreement in May 1994,
the dispute remains unresolved despite continued international efforts
spearheaded by Russia, France and the U.S. While Azerbaijan demands
an immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the enclave, Armenia
insists on the territory's independence.
Despite the standing cease-fire, brief but fierce border clashes
between Armenia and Azerbaijan in early June had led to the deaths
of eight soldiers, including five Azerbaijanis and three Armenians.
by RTT Staff Writer
http://www.rttnews.com/1958343/azerbaijan-criticized-for-freeing-convicted-killer.aspx?type=msgn&utm_source=google&utm_campai gn=sitemap
RTT News
Sept 4 2012
(RTTNews) - The European Union, United States and Russia have
criticized Azerbaijan for freeing a convicted murderer after his
extradition from Hungary, and expressed concerns over its possible
impact on the international efforts aimed at bringing peace to the
central Asian region.
In a joint statement on Monday, EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine
Ashton and Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighborhood Policy, expressed concerns over the move by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to pardon the Azerbaijani military officer
convicted of hacking an Armenian officer to death in Budapest eight
years ago.
The Azeri serviceman, Ramil Safarov, was sentenced to life imprisonment
by the Budapest City Court in 2006 after he confessed to killing
Armenian officer, Lt. Gurgen Markarian, with an axe while the two
men were in Hungary for attending a NATO language course in 2004.
Ashton and Fule noted in their joint statement that Safarov was
transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan on the "basis of an Azerbaijani
request, in the framework of the Convention of Strasbourg on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons of 21 March 1983, to serve the rest of
his sentence."
Stressing that EU representatives are in contact with the relevant
authorities and will continue to follow the situation closely, the
two EU officials urged "Azerbaijan and Armenia to exercise restraint,
on the ground as well as in public statements, in order to prevent
an escalation of the situation." They also called on the two nations
to act responsibly in the interest of regional stability and on-going
efforts towards reconciliation.
Russia also expressed "deep concern" over the extradition and pardon,
saying: "We believe that these actions of Azerbaijani as well as
Hungarian authorities contradict internationally brokered efforts, of
the OSCE's Minsk group in particular, to ease tensions in the region."
Separately, the co-chairs of the Minsk group expressed their "deep
concern and regret for the damage the pardon and any attempts to
glorify the crime have done to the peace process and trust between
the sides." Further, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "deeply
concerned" about the incident.
Safarov was sent back to Azerbaijan on Friday after Budapest received
assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that Safarov's
sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25 years,
would be enforced in his home nation.
Despite the assurances provided, Safarov was pardoned by President
Ilham Aliyev soon after his arrival in the capital Baku on Friday. In
addition, he was promoted to the rank of Major, given an apartment
and all the pay he had lost since his arrest eight years ago.
In retaliation to Hungary's decision to transfer Safarov to Azerbaijan
and his subsequent release by authorities there, Armenia on Sunday
announced its decision to immediately suspend all diplomatic relations
with Budapest.
In an apparent warning to Azerbaijan, Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian said: "We don't want a war, but if we have to, we will
fight and win. We are not afraid of killers, even if they enjoy the
protection of the head of state."
Incidentally, Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet republics,
had fought a war over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in the
1990s. Armenian troops are currently occupying the enclave after they
helped Armenian separatists to seize control from Azerbaijan in the
early 1990s. The war for the enclave resulted in the death of nearly
30,000 people and forced two million others to flee their homes.
Although the two countries signed a cease-fire agreement in May 1994,
the dispute remains unresolved despite continued international efforts
spearheaded by Russia, France and the U.S. While Azerbaijan demands
an immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the enclave, Armenia
insists on the territory's independence.
Despite the standing cease-fire, brief but fierce border clashes
between Armenia and Azerbaijan in early June had led to the deaths
of eight soldiers, including five Azerbaijanis and three Armenians.
by RTT Staff Writer
http://www.rttnews.com/1958343/azerbaijan-criticized-for-freeing-convicted-killer.aspx?type=msgn&utm_source=google&utm_campai gn=sitemap