California Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has expressed her outrage over Azerbaijan’s pardon, promotion and praise for convicted axe-murderer RamilSafarov, and called for his immediate re-incarceration, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
In a strongly worded letter to President Aliyev, Senator Boxer stressed that Safarov’s release is “deeply disturbing and provocative action has only served to inflame tensions and endanger efforts to forge a lasting peace in the Caucasus.” Calling the Safarov’s pardon a “blatant disregard for the rule of law,” she went on to demand that Aliyev “adhere to the standards of the international law by returning Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous crime that he committed.” The complete text of the letter is provided below.
With her statement, Senator Boxer has joined a diverse group of U.S. leaders from the Obama Administration, State Department and Congress in condemning President Aliyev’s release of Safarov.
Last week, during the Center for European Policy Analysis’ U.S.-Central Europe Strategy Forum, Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon told RFE/RL that the State Department continues to express our dismay and disappointment.
On the international front, France, Russia and a host of nations have condemned the action, with the European Parliament adopting a resolution deploring Azerbaijan’s actions on September 13th. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, during a joint press conference with Pres. Aliyev in Baku on September 7th, stated: “I am deeply concerned by the Azerbaijani decision to pardon RamilSafarov. The act he committed in 2004 was a crime which should not be glorified, as this damages trust and does not contribute to the peace process.”
Text of U.S Senator Barbara Boxer’s letter to Azerbaijani President IlhamAliyev
Dear President Aliyev:
I write today to express my outrage regarding your decision to release and pardon RamilSafarov, an Azeri soldier who had been sentenced to life in prison for the vicious murder of an Armenian soldier. This deeply disturbing and provocative action has only served to inflame tensions and endanger efforts to forge a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
As you know, Mr. Safarov was convicted of the brutal axe murder of an Armenian soldier and fellow trainee at a NATO language course in 2004 and had been serving a life sentence in Hungary. On August 21, 2012, Mr. Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan after Hungary received assurances that his sentence would be enforced.
The pardon of Mr. Safarov upon his return to Azerbaijan represents a blatant disregard for the rule of law. This decision, coupled with the hero’s welcome Mr. Safarov received, is an affront to the most basic principles of justice and human rights.
As such, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to free Mr. Safarov and adhere to the standards of the international law by returning Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous crime that he committed.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
