Strasbourg, 4 September 2012 - In a statement today the Council of Europe’s Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said that murder - such as that committed by Ramil Safarov – cannot be glorified.

“Ramil Safarov was convicted for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary. On August 31, he was transferred to Azerbaijan, and immediately pardoned. I do not want to comment on the legal proceedings, but I find it unacceptable that a convicted murderer is welcomed as a hero.”

“I reject the prospect of a world whose moral code begins to fray, where respect for human dignity is denied. This is not the Europe that we should wish for future generations. I condemn such glorification of crime, and urge that we all work to uphold the respect for life, and our values as defended by the Council of Europe”, he said.

 

Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe

PACE President concerned by the serious deterioration in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the decision to pardon Ramil Safarov