Council of Europe Secretary General condemns pardoning and glorification of Safarov

YEREVAN, September 29. / ARKA /. The Council of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland, condemned Azerbaijan’s leadership for pardoning Ramil Safarov and his glorification during a meeting with Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian in New York, Armenian foreign ministry reports.

It said Nalbandian highly appreciated the unequivocal and condemning response of the CoE Secretary General and its subdivisions to the move of Azerbaijan.

The two men were said to have also discussed the preparations for Armenia’s presidency in the Council of Europe starting next year and the process of developing of Armenia's priorities in this context, as well issues related to reforms in the organization and implementation of Armenia-CE plan of actions. Nalbandian is in New York to attend the 67th session of the UN General Assembly. 

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 where 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-