THE TRANSFER OF AXE-MURDERER SAFAROV TO AZERBAIJAN WAS A “CORRECT AND RIGHT” DECISION, HUNGARY’S PM SAYS
armradio.am
17:02 02.10.2012
The transfer of axe-murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan was a “correct
and right” decision, enabling Hungary to get out of the Azeri-Armenian
conflict, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Parliament on Monday.
The premier responded to critical remarks by Socialist MP Laszlo
Kovacs, former Socialist foreign minister, politics.hu reports.
Kovacs noted that both the foreign and the justice ministries had
opposed the move, arguing that the murderer was celebrated as a
national hero in his homeland and would be immediately released upon
his repatriation.
Kovacs asked why the government was satisfied with the Azerbaijani
pledge of not to change Safarov’s sentence and failed to ask about
the chance of a presidential pardon.
Orban said the government had made a correct and right decision
that complied with the rules of international law and Hungary’s
legal practice.
“We would have done the same if an Armenian had killed an Azerbaijani.
Hungary should follow its own interests rather than those of Armenia
or Azerbaijan,” he said.
Orban said that the decision had not been motivated by the promise
of any short-term benefits. In the long term, however, it will have
a benefit, the premier said. The Azeri-Armenian conflict, he said,
is expected to last for a while but “Hungary has got out of it by
transferring the Azeri convict. As long as he was here, he caused
plenty of conflicts and difficulties and the situation would not have
changed in the future either,” he said.
The Hungarian authorities repatriated Azerbaijani national Safarov
on August 31 on the understanding that he would continue to serve the
life sentence he received in February 2004 for murdering an Armenian
in Hungary.On returning to Azerbaijan, Safarov was pardoned by his
country’s president Ilham Aliyev.