US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton relayed the US Government’s “strong disappointment” over Hungary’s extradition of convicted Azerbaijani axe-murderer Ramil Safarov during a state visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi to Washington.

A State Department Spokesperson noted that: “Secretary Clinton reiterated our strong disappointment that Hungary transferred convicted murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, where he was immediately pardoned.  This decision was harmful to the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to trust between the sides,” Asbarez reports.

“We welcome Secretary Clinton’s continued efforts. In the interest of peace, we encourage the Secretary to translate her words of criticism—toward both Hungary and Azerbaijan—into reality by putting in place a ban on US arms sale to Baku and ending all military aid to the Azerbaijani armed forces,” Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian commented in this regard.