Armenian parliament adopts statement condemning Safarov’s repatriation and pardoning

YEREVAN, September 5. / ARKA /. By a vote of 96 to one the Armenian parliament has adopted today a draft statement condemning the Hungarian authorities for repatriation of Ramil Safarov, an Azeri army Lt., sentenced to a life in prison by an Hungarian court for murdering in 2004 an Armenian colleague Gurgen Margarian.

According to the MPs, the murderer of the Armenian officer was glorified for years in Azerbaijan, including its president and therefore the Hungarian authorities knew if sent back home Safarov would be set free. In fact, their decision has become a precedent promoting crimes against ethnic Armenians.

"Pardoning the criminal by the president of Azerbaijan, as well as his promotion to the rank of Major is the manifestation of political cynicism towards the international community," the statement says..

The statement says also this crime stems fr om the policy of xenophobia of Azerbaijani authorities, and by pardoning the murderer the president of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani authorities take responsibility for his crime.

"The decree of the president of Azerbaijan (to pardon Safarov) is contrary to the humanistic goals of the Strasbourg Convention On the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the universal principles of human rights. The National Assembly of Armenia states that the Hungarian authorities are also responsible for what happened, it condemns their behavior and suspends official relations with Hungary, " the document says.

The statement says by its move Azerbaijan is again threatening the regional security furthering its anti-Armenian propaganda , violating the human rights guaranteed by international legal instruments, and once again demonstrates its consistent policy aimed at disrupting the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The atmosphere of hatred against Armenians in Azerbaijan rooted at the state level, reaffirms the reality that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic can not be part of Azerbaijan in any status,» the document says.

Armenia's parliament called on all countries to condemn the deal between Hungary and Azerbaijan. 

"We expect a symmetrical reaction of parliamentary organizations and corresponding clear actions," the statement says.

Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army Lt. convicted by a Hungarian court to life in prison for killing an Armenian colleague, Gurgen Margarian, had been sent by Hungary back to Azerbaijan to serve his prison sentence wh ere he was pardoned by Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. Lt. Ramil Safarov was given a life sentence in 2006 by a Hungarian court after he confessed to killing Lt. Gurgen Margarian, an Armenian, while both were in Hungary for a 2004 NATO language course. Azerbaijan’s president decision prompted Armenia to suspend diplomatic ties with Hungary. -0-