LA Councilmember decries extradition of barbaric murderer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian sent a letter to László Kálmán, Hungary’s Consul General to Los Angeles decrying the latter’s government for extraditing Ramil Safarov to Baku, according to Asbarez.

“I join the Armenian-American community of Los Angeles in expressing my shock and anger over the Azerbaijani government’s outrageous pardon of Ramil Safarov – a convicted murderer who was found guilty in a Hungarian court of savagely killing an Armenian lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan, with an ax as the victim slept. Moreover, I am bewildered by the Hungarian government’s inexplicable decision to allow these circumstances to take place by extraditing this murderer to his home country, especially since his home country has a long and demonstrated policy of supporting hatred and violence toward Armenians,” Krekorian said.

“By pardoning Safarov, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has once more demonstrated to the world his devotion to intolerance, hate and division, not peace and understanding. By providing Safarov a hero’s welcome in Baku, and promoting his military rank, Mr. Aliyev and his government have sent a clear and despicable message to the country’s population and to the international community: in Azerbaijan, the murder of Armenians is not only tolerated, it is encouraged, celebrated and rewarded.”

“The Hungarian people have a long and proud history of standing courageously for freedom and justice, and sadly, they have too often suffered the tragic and violent consequences of intolerance, oppression and tyranny. I certainly would have hoped that that history would guide your government’s actions with regard to the extradition of a barbaric murderer, convicted of a vicious hate crime, to a nation as bellicose as Azerbaijan. I hope that in the aftermath of these circumstances your government will stand firm in your commitment to human rights and justice, and that you will clearly condemn Azerbaijan’s horrific actions in freeing and lionizing this savage murderer,” the Councilmember concluded.