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BOXER TO ALIYEV: PUT SAFAROV BACK IN JAIL
http://asbarez.com/105701/boxer-to-aliyev-put-safarov-back-in-jail/
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Assistant Secretary of State Gordon "Appalled by the Glorification"
of Safarov
WASHINGTON-California Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has expressed
her outrage over Azerbaijan's pardon, promotion and praise for
convicted axe-murderer Ramil Safarov, and called for his immediate
re-incarceration, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
In a strongly worded letter to President Aliyev, Senator Boxer stressed
that Safarov's release is "deeply disturbing and provocative action
has only served to inflame tensions and endanger efforts to forge
a lasting peace in the Caucasus." Calling the Safarov's pardon a
"blatant disregard for the rule of law," she went on to demand that
Aliyev "adhere to the standards of the international law by returning
Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous crime that he
committed." The complete text of the letter is provided below.
The letter comes amid the Aliyev Administration's continuing
glorification of Safarov, who axed to death Armenian military
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a 2004 NATO sponsored
language training exercise in Hungary. Safarov, who was extradited
by Hungary to Baku on August 31st, was immediately pardoned, promoted
from the rank of lieutenant to major, reimbursed 8 years of back pay,
and provided a new apartment as a reward for committing this heinous
anti-Armenian hate crime. According to news reports, Safarov will
soon resume active Azerbaijani military service.
Meanwhile Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian aggression continued this week
with a sniper attack leaving 19-year-old soldier Vaghinag Baghdasarian
dead.
With her statement, Senator Boxer has joined a diverse group of U.S.
leaders from the Obama Administration, State Department and Congress
in condemning President Aliyev's release of Safarov.
Last week, during the Center for European Policy Analysis' U.S.-Central
Europe Strategy Forum, Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon told
RFE/RL that the State Department continues "to express our dismay and
disappointment. We're not satisfied with what has happened here. In
our view this is someone who should have continued to serve out his
sentence and certainly we were appalled by the glorification that
we heard in some corridors of somebody who was convicted of murder,
and so no, we're not satisfied with the responses."
The U.S. was among the first to comment on the travesty on August
31st, with a statement issued by the White House in the name of
National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor, underscoring the
President's view that, "This action is contrary to ongoing efforts
to reduce regional tensions and promote reconciliation." Vietor went
on to note that, "The United States is also requesting an explanation
from Hungary regarding its decision to transfer Safarov to Azerbaijan."
The Department of State, through a formal announcement issued by
Acting Deputy Spokesman Patrick Ventrell, also took a stand against
Hungary's extradition and Azerbaijan's pardon, explaining that: "The
United States is extremely troubled by the news that the President
of Azerbaijan pardoned Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who
returned to Baku today following his transfer from Hungary. . . . We
are expressing our deep concern to Azerbaijan regarding this action
and seeking an explanation. We are also seeking further details from
Hungary regarding the decision to transfer Mr. Safarov to Azerbaijan."
Members of Congress who have condemned Azerbaijan's release of Safarov
to date include, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry
(D-MA), Sen. Boxer, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), House Foreign Affairs Committee
Ranking Democrat Howard Berman (D-CA), House Energy and Commerce
Committee Ranking Democrat Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Representatives
Jim Costa (D-CA), Jeff Denham (R-CA), Robert Dold (R-IL), Anna Eshoo
(D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Sarbanes
(D-MD), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA).
A complete list of statements by U.S. leaders condemning the Safarov
release is available at: http://www.anca.org/safarov
On the international front, France, Russia and a host of nations
have condemned the action, with the European Parliament adopting a
resolution deploring Azerbaijan's actions on September 13th. NATO
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, during a joint press
conference with Pres. Aliyev in Baku on September 7th, stated: "I am
deeply concerned by the Azerbaijani decision to pardon Ramil Safarov.
The act he committed in 2004 was a crime which should not be glorified,
as this damages trust and does not contribute to the peace process."
Text of U.S Senator Barbara Boxer's letter to Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev
September 24, 2012
H.E. Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku,
AZ1066 Istiglaliyyat Street, 19
Dear President Aliyev:
I write today to express my outrage regarding your decision to release
and pardon Ramil Safarov, an Azeri soldier who had been sentenced to
life in prison for the vicious murder of an Armenian soldier. This
deeply disturbing and provocative action has only served to inflame
tensions and endanger efforts to forge a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
As you know, Mr. Safarov was convicted of the brutal axe murder of
an Armenian soldier and fellow trainee at a NATO language course in
2004 and had been serving a life sentence in Hungary. On August 21,
2012, Mr. Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan after Hungary received
assurances that his sentence would be enforced.
The pardon of Mr. Safarov upon his return to Azerbaijan represents a
blatant disregard for the rule of law. This decision, coupled with
the hero's welcome Mr. Safarov received, is an affront to the most
basic principles of justice and human rights.
As such, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to free Mr.
Safarov and adhere to the standards of the international law by
returning Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous
crime that he committed.
Sincerely, Barbara Boxer United States Senator
http://asbarez.com/105701/boxer-to-aliyev-put-safarov-back-in-jail/
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Assistant Secretary of State Gordon "Appalled by the Glorification"
of Safarov
WASHINGTON-California Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has expressed
her outrage over Azerbaijan's pardon, promotion and praise for
convicted axe-murderer Ramil Safarov, and called for his immediate
re-incarceration, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
In a strongly worded letter to President Aliyev, Senator Boxer stressed
that Safarov's release is "deeply disturbing and provocative action
has only served to inflame tensions and endanger efforts to forge
a lasting peace in the Caucasus." Calling the Safarov's pardon a
"blatant disregard for the rule of law," she went on to demand that
Aliyev "adhere to the standards of the international law by returning
Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous crime that he
committed." The complete text of the letter is provided below.
The letter comes amid the Aliyev Administration's continuing
glorification of Safarov, who axed to death Armenian military
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a 2004 NATO sponsored
language training exercise in Hungary. Safarov, who was extradited
by Hungary to Baku on August 31st, was immediately pardoned, promoted
from the rank of lieutenant to major, reimbursed 8 years of back pay,
and provided a new apartment as a reward for committing this heinous
anti-Armenian hate crime. According to news reports, Safarov will
soon resume active Azerbaijani military service.
Meanwhile Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian aggression continued this week
with a sniper attack leaving 19-year-old soldier Vaghinag Baghdasarian
dead.
With her statement, Senator Boxer has joined a diverse group of U.S.
leaders from the Obama Administration, State Department and Congress
in condemning President Aliyev's release of Safarov.
Last week, during the Center for European Policy Analysis' U.S.-Central
Europe Strategy Forum, Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon told
RFE/RL that the State Department continues "to express our dismay and
disappointment. We're not satisfied with what has happened here. In
our view this is someone who should have continued to serve out his
sentence and certainly we were appalled by the glorification that
we heard in some corridors of somebody who was convicted of murder,
and so no, we're not satisfied with the responses."
The U.S. was among the first to comment on the travesty on August
31st, with a statement issued by the White House in the name of
National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor, underscoring the
President's view that, "This action is contrary to ongoing efforts
to reduce regional tensions and promote reconciliation." Vietor went
on to note that, "The United States is also requesting an explanation
from Hungary regarding its decision to transfer Safarov to Azerbaijan."
The Department of State, through a formal announcement issued by
Acting Deputy Spokesman Patrick Ventrell, also took a stand against
Hungary's extradition and Azerbaijan's pardon, explaining that: "The
United States is extremely troubled by the news that the President
of Azerbaijan pardoned Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who
returned to Baku today following his transfer from Hungary. . . . We
are expressing our deep concern to Azerbaijan regarding this action
and seeking an explanation. We are also seeking further details from
Hungary regarding the decision to transfer Mr. Safarov to Azerbaijan."
Members of Congress who have condemned Azerbaijan's release of Safarov
to date include, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry
(D-MA), Sen. Boxer, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), House Foreign Affairs Committee
Ranking Democrat Howard Berman (D-CA), House Energy and Commerce
Committee Ranking Democrat Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Representatives
Jim Costa (D-CA), Jeff Denham (R-CA), Robert Dold (R-IL), Anna Eshoo
(D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Sarbanes
(D-MD), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA).
A complete list of statements by U.S. leaders condemning the Safarov
release is available at: http://www.anca.org/safarov
On the international front, France, Russia and a host of nations
have condemned the action, with the European Parliament adopting a
resolution deploring Azerbaijan's actions on September 13th. NATO
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, during a joint press
conference with Pres. Aliyev in Baku on September 7th, stated: "I am
deeply concerned by the Azerbaijani decision to pardon Ramil Safarov.
The act he committed in 2004 was a crime which should not be glorified,
as this damages trust and does not contribute to the peace process."
Text of U.S Senator Barbara Boxer's letter to Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev
September 24, 2012
H.E. Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku,
AZ1066 Istiglaliyyat Street, 19
Dear President Aliyev:
I write today to express my outrage regarding your decision to release
and pardon Ramil Safarov, an Azeri soldier who had been sentenced to
life in prison for the vicious murder of an Armenian soldier. This
deeply disturbing and provocative action has only served to inflame
tensions and endanger efforts to forge a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
As you know, Mr. Safarov was convicted of the brutal axe murder of
an Armenian soldier and fellow trainee at a NATO language course in
2004 and had been serving a life sentence in Hungary. On August 21,
2012, Mr. Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan after Hungary received
assurances that his sentence would be enforced.
The pardon of Mr. Safarov upon his return to Azerbaijan represents a
blatant disregard for the rule of law. This decision, coupled with
the hero's welcome Mr. Safarov received, is an affront to the most
basic principles of justice and human rights.
As such, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to free Mr.
Safarov and adhere to the standards of the international law by
returning Mr. Safarov to jail, where he belongs, for the heinous
crime that he committed.
Sincerely, Barbara Boxer United States Senator