Reacting to the pardon granted by President Ilham Aliyev to extradited Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, convicted of the 2004 murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, the U.S. State Department has expressed its deep concern.

“The United States is extremely troubled by the news that the President of Azerbaijan pardoned Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who returned to Baku following his transfer from Hungary,” Patrick Ventrell, Acting Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, declared.

Mr. Safarov had been serving a life sentence in a Hungarian jail for the murder.

“We are expressing our deep concern to Azerbaijan regarding this action and seeking an explanation. We are also seeking further details from Hungary regarding the decision to transfer Mr. Safarov to Azerbaijan,” Ventrell said.

“We condemn any action that fuels regional tensions,” the Acting Deputy Spokesperson declared.