Thorbjørn Jagland: Killer Safarov is not a hero | HUMANERIGHTSEUROPE

Glorifying a convicted murderer and transforming him into a hero is unacceptable, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has declared.

Condemning the glorification of killer Ramil Safarov, the Secretary General said: “Safarov was convicted for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary. On August 31, he was transferred to Azerbaijan, and immediately pardoned. I find it unacceptable that a convicted murderer is welcomed as a hero.

“I reject the prospect of a world whose moral code begins to fray, where respect for human dignity is denied. This is not the Europe that we should wish for future generations. I condemn such glorification of crime, and urge that we all work to uphold the respect for life, and our values as defended by the Council of Europe.”