UN chief criticizes Azerbaijan for freeing Safarov
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is criticizing Azerbaijan for pardoning and freeing Ramil Safarov despite promising Hungary that his life sentence for killing Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan would be enforced, AP reported.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky expressed Ban's concern Thursday at developments following Lt. Ramil Safarov's transfer from Hungary last month. Safarov confessed to killing Lt. Gurgen Margaryan while both were in Hungary for a 2004 NATO language course.
Nesirky said Ban emphasizes that all U.N. members have a responsibility "to adhere to international standards and principles of rule of law in criminal cases in order to ensure accountability and fight impunity."
Nesirky said the U.N. hopes the incident won't damage the peace process.