Canada’s Embassy to Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on Thursday issued a statement in connection with Ramil Safarov’s extradition to Azerbaijan.

“Canada is concerned about recent developments in the Ramil Safarov case, in particular his pardon, and the unwelcome controversy it has generated.

We encourage all parties to take the necessary measures to increase trust and constructively contribute to the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Canada supports the ongoing peace process, and all initiatives aimed at promoting regional cooperation and reconciliation,” the Canadian Embassy’s statement reads.

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.