Ilham Aliyev
The statement came from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. He was speaking at a news conference with NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Gun.Az reports.
The head of state noted that Safarov's extradition complied with the European Convention, while his pardon met the Azerbaijani laws:
"The one who claims the law was violated here is not aware of the reality. Armenia seeks to preserve the status quo in peaceful negotiations. Therefore, it makes use of this issue".
The president noted that the Armenian who was involved in the terror attack against European and US citizens at the Orly airport in Paris was extradited to Armenia, pardoned and raised to the level of a hero though he was not a citizen of Azerbaijan.
"I do not want to compare our officer with this terrorist. However, Ramil Safarov has served nine years of his sentence. His pardon was in line with the law", the president said.
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