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Hungary’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan and Ilham Aliyev’s pardon of the convicted killer have aggravated tension in the region, but national minorities residing in Azerbaijan are a restraining factor for Azerbaijani authorities, Azeri studies expert Sargis Asatryan told a news conference in Yerevan.

In return, Iranian studies expert Vardan Voskanyan noted that instead of saying “national minorities” we should say “indigenous population,” because, firstly, they don’t constitute a minority, secondly, they lived on that territory before the state of Azerbaijan was established in 1918.

Azerbaijan’s atmosphere has changed, according to the expert.

“Let’s leave aside figures close to Aliyev clan. The indigenous population is concerned over the heroization of a murderer. In any country, making a hero out of a murderer would cause a problem, distorting the whole system,” Mr Voskanyan concluded.