ECRI Expressed Its Consternation At The Pardoning And Release Of Aze

ECRI EXPRESSED ITS CONSTERNATION AT THE PARDONING AND RELEASE OF AZERBAIJANI MURDERER

armradio.am
07.09.2012 15:39

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
expresses has issued a statement on the transfer and pardoning of
Ramil Safarov. The statement reads:

“The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the
Council of Europe wishes to express consternation at the pardoning
and release of Ramil Safarov, shortly after he had been transferred
from Hungary to Azerbaijan in order to serve there a sentence of
life imprisonment imposed by a Budapest court for the murder of an
Armenian army officer in 2004.

ECRI’s position has always been that hate crime should be adequately
punished. It is, therefore, concerned that developments such as those
in the Safarov case risk cultivating a sense of impunity for the
perpetrators of racist offences of the most serious nature. This could
undermine in a fundamental manner the fight against racist violence,
which unfortunately continues to plague many European countries.”

ECRI draws the Azerbaijani authorities’ attention to the need to
respect the values it has always promoted and to which they have
subscribed when becoming a member of the Council of Europe. It urges
them to take whatever measures are possible to redress the situation
created by their handling of the Safarov case.