The decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case “Makuchyan and Minasyan v. Azerbaijan and Hungary” is a verdict against Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy, the Armenian Foreign Ministry declares.
According to Armenia’s foreign policy department, the European Court’s ruling on the case concerning the release and glorification of Ramil Safarov, who brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, not only recognises but also deems unacceptable Azerbaijan’s encouragement, at the state level, of crimes committed against Armenians on the grounds of hatred.
“In 2004, during courses held in Budapest within the framework of the ‘Partnership for Peace’ programme under NATO, Ramil Safarov, an officer participating from Azerbaijan, axed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan while he was asleep and attacked Armenian officer Hayk Makuchyan. Ramil Safarov, sentenced to life imprisonment by a Hungarian court, after being transferred to Azerbaijan, where the criminal was to serve the remainder of his sentence, was pardoned and glorified. In this regard, the ruling particularly records: ‘The Court is particularly struck by the fact that, in addition to his release upon returning to Azerbaijan, Ramil Safarov was granted a number of privileges, such as compensation of salary for the period spent in prison, provision of an apartment in Baku and a promotion in military rank, which was carried out in a public ceremony,'” the Armenian Foreign Ministry notes in a statement issued late in the evening of May 26.
“The Court recorded that Azerbaijan had violated its obligations under Articles 2 (right to life) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
It is noteworthy that the ruling pointed out that the violation of these articles was of an interconnected nature, which records that the impunity and glorification of Ramil Safarov, convicted of a brutal crime committed on the grounds of hatred by Azerbaijan’s highest leadership, was carried out on the basis of the victims’ national origin,” the statement said.
“The ruling establishes a legal obligation for Azerbaijan to take such actions as would make it possible to put an end to these violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and address their consequences.
The Republic of Armenia regards this ECHR ruling as a demand for Azerbaijan’s authorities to restore justice in the case of the horrific murder of Gurgen Margaryan and to put an end to the racist policy against Armenians. The Republic of Armenia will be consistent in this direction in the relevant international fora.
The release and glorification of the convicted murderer Ramil Safarov by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan was an insult and affront to civilisational standards and human dignity. Today, when these actions have received a legal assessment, we are more than determined to prevent crimes committed on the grounds of hatred and to protect the security of the Armenian people in the region.
We will continue our consistent efforts for a peaceful and secure region free of hatred,” the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
