September 8, 2012 - 13:30 AMT
European Parliament to adopt resolution on Safarov release case

European Parliament has scheduled a debate on Hungary-extradited Azeri criminal Ramil Safarov convicted for murdering an Armenian officer.

The debate will be held in the framework of discussions on human rights and democracy at September 13 plenary sitting in Strasburg.

A resolution will be adopted following the debate, European Parliament official website said.

Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer who was serving a life sentence in Hungary for axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Hungary, however, states that it had sent Safarov back to Azerbaijan after receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that Safarov's sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25 years, would be enforced.

According to some reports, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan in exchange for Azeri purchase of Hungarian securities worth Euro 2-3 billion, an information official Budapest denies.