Azerbaijan’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva Murad Najafbayli has addressed a letter to the President of the Human Rights Council to justify Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s decision on pardoning axe-killer Ramil Safarov.

As a justification for the immoral step, Najafbayli cited articles of 1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, under which the sentenced person in the territory of a Party may be transferred to the territory of another Party according to the earlier reached agreement. However, as lawyers repeatedly stated, both Hungary and Azerbaijan violated the Convention, under which the sentenced persons must serve their terms in their own countries out of humanitarian motives, instead of being released once back to homeland.

Najafbayli further noted “Baku’s giving a national hero welcome to Safarov as not true to fact.” However, he kept silent about the warm welcome the murderer received in Baku and the statements claiming “the axe-killer must serve an example for young Azerbaijanis.” Moreover, the envoy attempted to pin the Safarov crime on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh liberation war, whilst keeping silent about Baku’s promises to purchase Hungarian securities worth Euro 2-3 billion in exchange for Safarov transfer.

Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer who was serving a life sentence in Hungary for axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary. Hungary, however, states that it had sent Safarov back to Azerbaijan after receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that Safarov's sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25 years, would be enforced.

According to some reports, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan in exchange for Azeri purchase of Hungarian securities worth Euro 2-3 billion, an information official Budapest denies.

“Hungarian prime minister is “morally bankrupt” and should resign after admitting that he personally approved the transfer of the Azeri axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences,” the leader of the opposition Socialists said earlier.

Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban’s comments at a news conference on September 11 that he had been aware that Azerbaijan would release the life-sentenced Ramil Safarov after his repatriation.