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COE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEPLORED THE FACT THAT RAMIL SAFAROV HAS BEEN GLORIFIED AND REWARDED BY AZERBAIJAN
Mediamax
Sept 4 2012
Armenia
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Nils Muižnieks deplored the fact that the convicted murderer Ramil
Safarov has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan.
Nils Muižnieks expressed today his deep concerns about Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon and honour Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army
officer who in 2004 brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen
Markaryan.
"Racist crimes must not go unpunished. Violent offences motivated
by bias, such as racial or inter-ethnic hatred, are a particularly
pernicious form of criminality. Apart from the destructive effects
on the victims and those close to them, they can be devastating to
whole communities and unravel the very fabric of society. States are
under an obligation to apply strongly dissuasive sanctions against
those who have perpetrated bias-motivated crimes", he said.
Moreover, the Commissioner deplored the fact that the convicted
murderer has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan.
"It is already highly regrettable if someone who commits a gruesome
murder motivated by the victim's ethnicity or nationality is treated
with a leniency not displayed towards others convicted of crimes.
However, to glorify and reward such a person flies in the face of all
accepted standards for human rights protection and rule of law. Such
glorification of hate crimes can only send a message that others
belonging to the same ethnic group as the victim, or indeed other
members of vulnerable groups, are "fair game". This is an extremely
dangerous message", Commissioner for Human Rights stressed.
Mediamax
Sept 4 2012
Armenia
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Nils Muižnieks deplored the fact that the convicted murderer Ramil
Safarov has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan.
Nils Muižnieks expressed today his deep concerns about Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon and honour Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army
officer who in 2004 brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen
Markaryan.
"Racist crimes must not go unpunished. Violent offences motivated
by bias, such as racial or inter-ethnic hatred, are a particularly
pernicious form of criminality. Apart from the destructive effects
on the victims and those close to them, they can be devastating to
whole communities and unravel the very fabric of society. States are
under an obligation to apply strongly dissuasive sanctions against
those who have perpetrated bias-motivated crimes", he said.
Moreover, the Commissioner deplored the fact that the convicted
murderer has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan.
"It is already highly regrettable if someone who commits a gruesome
murder motivated by the victim's ethnicity or nationality is treated
with a leniency not displayed towards others convicted of crimes.
However, to glorify and reward such a person flies in the face of all
accepted standards for human rights protection and rule of law. Such
glorification of hate crimes can only send a message that others
belonging to the same ethnic group as the victim, or indeed other
members of vulnerable groups, are "fair game". This is an extremely
dangerous message", Commissioner for Human Rights stressed.