YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: US Congressmen Frank Pallone and Brad Sherman have condemned the pardon by the president of Azerbaijan to the murderer Ramil Safarov. Armenpress presents the statements of the congressmen.

Brad Sherman

"I am deeply dismayed by the Hungarian government"s decision to release an Azeri military officer who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering an Armenian officer in cold blood in Budapest in 2004. The convicted criminal was wrongfully and unjustly pardoned and set free by Azerbaijan's President immediately after arriving in Azerbaijan. I stand by our friend and ally Armenia in her ongoing quest for peace and security for her citizens. I call on the Azeri government to bring this individual to justice instead of freeing a convicted criminal.Baku's actions demonstrate a stubborn refusal to avoid threats against its neighbor.

Frank Pallone

"I am outraged by the reckless actions taken by the government of Azerbaijan in freeing Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier who brutally murdered an unarmed Armenian soldier during a NATO-sponsored training program in Hungary. It is extremely egregious that the President of Azerbaijan has issued a decree granting pardon to a convicted murderer and has allowed him to walk free despite his conviction.

These are not the actions of a government that is dedicated to justice and peace. Unfortunately, the actions taken by Azerbaijan only further confirm their desire to facilitate and condone violence against Armenia and its people.I believe that the United States government should stand in solidarity with the Armenian government in condemning the actions of the governments of Azerbaijan. Further, I call upon the Azerbaijani government to acknowledge Ramil Safarov as a convicted murderer and immediately take action commensurate with a democratic nation that supports justice under the rule of law.