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Committee condemns the use of a European Convention by Azerbaijan in

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  • Committee condemns the use of a European Convention by Azerbaijan in

    Parliamentary Assembly Council Europe
    May 27 2014


    Committee condemns the use of a European Convention by Azerbaijan in
    the Safarov case

    Strasbourg

    Parliamentary Assembly Council Europe has been issued the following
    press release:

    PACE's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights's condemned the use
    of Article 12 of the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced
    Persons by Azerbaijan in the case of Ramil Safarov, "as a violation of
    the principles of good faith in international relations and of the
    rule of law".

    The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons provides for the
    transfer of foreign prisoners to their home countries. Its purpose is
    primarily humanitarian, to improve prospects of rehabilitation and
    reintegration of prison inmates into society.

    The draft resolution adopted, based on the report by Christopher Chope
    (United Kingdom, EDG), notes with concern that the Convention was
    invoked in order to justify the immediate release upon transfer to
    Azerbaijan of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier convicted for
    murdering a fellow Armenian participant of a NATO "Partnership for
    Peace" training course in Hungary. Upon his arrival in Azerbaijan, he
    was welcomed as a national hero, granted an immediate pardon, long
    before the expiry of the minimum sentence set by the Hungarian court,
    a retroactive promotion as well as other rewards.

    The text underlines that the Convention "is not designed to be used
    for the immediate release of prisoners upon return to their own
    country". It underscores the importance of "applying the Convention in
    good faith and, in interpreting its provisions, adhering to the
    principles of the rule of law", in particular in transfer cases that
    might entail political or diplomatic implications.

    The draft resolution should be presented for debate to the Assembly
    later in 2014.

    For more information please visit: http://www.assembly.coe.int



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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