Tweet
AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA TRADE BARBS OVER AXE-KILLER PARDON
Business Recorder
http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1235110/
Sept 7 2012
Bitter enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia traded accusations on Friday amid
growing international criticism of Baku's pardoning of an extradited
Azerbaijani soldier who had hacked an Armenian to death.
Ramil Safarov was pardoned, promoted and financially rewarded after
being extradited to Azerbaijan from Hungary, where he had been serving
a life sentence for killing the Armenian soldier with an axe during
a Nato training session in 2004.
Visiting Baku, where Safarov received a hero's welcome on his return
a week ago, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the
murder was "a crime which should not be glorified". But Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev remained defiant, saying the pardon was legal
and fair despite the Nato chief's comments, which followed similar
criticism from the United States, the European Union and Russia.
"Armenia is unjustifiably kicking up a fuss over Ramil Safarov's
pardoning," Aliyev said at a news conference with Rasmussen in Baku.
"Safarov has been extradited in conformity with the European Convention
(on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons) and his pardoning is based on
Azerbaijani legislation," he said.
As tensions simmered between the ex-Soviet neighbours that fought
a territorial war in the 1990s, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian
accused energy-rich Azerbaijan of flexing its muscles in front of the
international community. "We believe that the purpose of pardoning
and justifying the murderer is not just that Aliyev wants to improve
his image inside the country, but to try to test the international
community's reaction to Azerbaijan's absurd move,"
Sarkisian said in comments released by his press service. Azerbaijan
and Armenia have not yet signed a final peace deal since the
1994 cease-fire in their war over the disputed region of Nagorny
Karabakh, and shooting is still frequent along the front line. Nato's
secretary-general warned against any new outbreak of hostilities. "Two
things are clear. First, that there is no military solution. And
second, the only way forward is through dialogue, compromise and
co-operation," Rasmussen said. The United Nations on Thursday also
voiced concern about heightened tensions between the regional foes,
saying "there is no alternative to a peace settlement" over Nagorny
Karabakh.
The row over the pardon has seen Yerevan break off links with Budapest,
which had been assured by Baku that the killer would serve out his
prison term in Azerbaijan. Further infuriating Armenia, Aliyev's
website has been publishing a series of letters from citizens
congratulating him for freeing the killer.
Business Recorder
http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1235110/
Sept 7 2012
Bitter enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia traded accusations on Friday amid
growing international criticism of Baku's pardoning of an extradited
Azerbaijani soldier who had hacked an Armenian to death.
Ramil Safarov was pardoned, promoted and financially rewarded after
being extradited to Azerbaijan from Hungary, where he had been serving
a life sentence for killing the Armenian soldier with an axe during
a Nato training session in 2004.
Visiting Baku, where Safarov received a hero's welcome on his return
a week ago, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the
murder was "a crime which should not be glorified". But Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev remained defiant, saying the pardon was legal
and fair despite the Nato chief's comments, which followed similar
criticism from the United States, the European Union and Russia.
"Armenia is unjustifiably kicking up a fuss over Ramil Safarov's
pardoning," Aliyev said at a news conference with Rasmussen in Baku.
"Safarov has been extradited in conformity with the European Convention
(on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons) and his pardoning is based on
Azerbaijani legislation," he said.
As tensions simmered between the ex-Soviet neighbours that fought
a territorial war in the 1990s, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian
accused energy-rich Azerbaijan of flexing its muscles in front of the
international community. "We believe that the purpose of pardoning
and justifying the murderer is not just that Aliyev wants to improve
his image inside the country, but to try to test the international
community's reaction to Azerbaijan's absurd move,"
Sarkisian said in comments released by his press service. Azerbaijan
and Armenia have not yet signed a final peace deal since the
1994 cease-fire in their war over the disputed region of Nagorny
Karabakh, and shooting is still frequent along the front line. Nato's
secretary-general warned against any new outbreak of hostilities. "Two
things are clear. First, that there is no military solution. And
second, the only way forward is through dialogue, compromise and
co-operation," Rasmussen said. The United Nations on Thursday also
voiced concern about heightened tensions between the regional foes,
saying "there is no alternative to a peace settlement" over Nagorny
Karabakh.
The row over the pardon has seen Yerevan break off links with Budapest,
which had been assured by Baku that the killer would serve out his
prison term in Azerbaijan. Further infuriating Armenia, Aliyev's
website has been publishing a series of letters from citizens
congratulating him for freeing the killer.