OFFICIAL OPPOSES EXULTING ILL-FAMED AZERI OFFICER

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006

The actions of the Azerbaijani officer charged with killing an Armenian
colleague at a NATO course in Budapest in 2004 cannot be considered
as heroism, chairman of the State Committee on Work with Azerbaijanis
Living Abroad, Nazim Ibrahimov, has said.

“Nevertheless, Ramil Safarov needs defense as he is a citizen of
Azerbaijan,” he told a news conference on Thursday. Ibrahimov said
Armenians present Azerbaijanis to the world community as “thugs”
when Safarov’s actions are deemed heroic in his country.

Some forces are trying to take advantage of the Azerbaijani officer’s
actions for a political gain, the committee chairman warned.