Michèle Rivasi, a European Parliament member who represents France’s Europe Écologie—The Greens—, commented on the Parliament’s resolution with respect to the Ramil Safarov case, and she condemned the absence of decisive measures in the document.

“It is apparent that Safarov was praised and considered a national hero in Azerbaijan ever since his being sentenced, and therefore it was obvious that he was to be released once upon his arrival in the country and that president Aliyev is sending this message to his people: ‘Slaughter the Armenians and you will become national heroes.’ This is why the escalation of violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan will not contribute to the [OSCE] Minsk [Group] efforts toward settlement of the [Nagorno-]Karabakh issue. 

Azerbaijan’s such decision is justice denied and a shameful transgression of the international convention, in the case when Azerbaijan seemed to have given guarantees to keep Safarov under custody,” the European MP wrote in her website.    

Michèle Rivasi also deplored Hungary’s actions, and wrote:

“Safarov’s extradition is a European scandal, and the European Parliament was unable to assess the gravity of the accusation against Hungary. [Hungarian PM] Viktor Orbán’s accountability is subject to condemnation. Ramil Safarov’s extradition was necessary in order for Azerbaijan to purchase €2-3 million Hungarian bonds.” 

Also, Michèle Rivasi called upon the European Parliament to work more decisively. 

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the European Parliament adopted a resolution Thursday in connection with the Safarov case. 

To note, 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.