The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) calls upon the international community to pressure Azerbaijan to respect its international promise and imprison Ramil Safarov, the Azeri lieutenant responsible for the horrific murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan.

The ANCC condemns the pardoning and rewarding of this convicted killer by the government of Azerbaijan.

Commenting on the issue, ANCC president, Shahen Mirakian said “With a track record of complete disregard for international law, and continuous abuse of human rights, Azerbaijan cannot be trusted as a credible partner to the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) peace process brought forth by the OSCE Minsk Group.

“By not calling on Azerbaijan to imprison Safarov, the international community sends a message that it will not uphold Azerbaijan’s obligations in respect to the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) peace process.” said Mirakian.

“Azerbaijan’s latest actions are another clear example of how the Aliyev regime continues to incite ethnic hatred and violence, and threaten peace in the region; all in an effort to deflect focus away from its own corrupt practices” said Mirakian.