EU’S SCHULZ ‘DISTURBED’ BY AZERBAIJAN’S PARDON
Hurriyet
Sept 5 2012
Turkey
European Parliament head Martin Schulz expressed horror yesterday
after Azerbaijan brushed aside criticism of its pardon for a soldier
who axed an Armenian officer to death in his sleep.
Schulz added his voice to condemnation of the pardon, already sharply
criticized by the U.S. and EU President Herman Van Rompuy, after
Baku’s foreign minister appeared to blame Yerevan for Azerbaijani
soldier Ramil Safarov’s 2004 killing of Armenian officer Gurgen
Margarian. “The convention on the transfer of sentenced people should
not be abused for political purpose,” Schulz said. “I am disturbed
by what appears to be a politically motivated pardon of Safarov by
the president of Azerbaijan,” he added, while urging Azerbaijan and
Armenia to avoid any moves and statements that might exacerbate the
situation. Earlier yesterday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister told U.S.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns that the murder was “directly
related” to the war.