The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has added its voice in the international condemnation and criticism of Azerbaijan’s pardon of convicted axe-murderer Ramil Safarov.

In a letter received by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) in response to a formal request for comment by Foreign Minister Bob Carr, his department DFAT stated: “The Australian Government is disappointed by the decision of President Aliyev to pardon Safarov”, armenia.com.au reported.

DFAT noted that this issue occurred against the backdrop of the Narogno-Karabakh conflict and that “Azerbaijan’s actions have the potential to undermine the ongoing mediation process under the OSCE Minsk Group.”

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence—and with no expression of either regret or remorse—for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted him a pardon.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.    

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning is condemned by virtually all international organizations.