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10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN OFFICER GURGEN MARGARYAN'S AXE-MURDER
Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was
hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant.
February 19 marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Armenian
officer Gurgen Margaryan.
February 19, 2014
PanARMENIAN.Net - Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen
Margaryan, 26, was hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow
Azerbaijani participant, lieutenant Ramil Safarov, in Budapest during a
three-month English language course in the framework of NATO-sponsored
Partnership for Peace program.
On April 13, 2006, Budapest District Court sentenced Safarov to life
in prison for murdering Margaryan. On February 22, 2007, Budapest
Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against the
verdict, precluding possibility of pardon for the initial 30 years.
By a decree of then-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, officer
Margaryan was awarded with a posthumous Medal for Courage on February
19, 2005.
In 2012, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.
Hungary, however, stated 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.
Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban first stated that he transferred
the prisoner to Azerbaijan on the understanding that he would serve
out the rest of his life sentence in his home country. In later
statements, Orban admitted that he not only signed the extradition
agreement himself, but that he had repeatedly been warned that if
Safarov were extradited to oil-rich Azerbaijian, he would be pardoned
and even celebrated by Ilham Aliyev's brutal dictatorial regime.
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.
"Hungarian prime minister is "morally bankrupt" and should resign
after admitting that he personally approved the transfer of the Azeri
axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences," the leader of
the opposition Socialists said.
Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban's comments that he
had been aware that Azerbaijan would release the life-sentenced Ramil
Safarov after his repatriation.
"Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan's assassin Ramil Safarov fulfilled
Azerbaijan's state order," lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan said.
"I am of the same opinion as I was eight years ago. It was a state
order," she said.
According to her, Azeri authorities from the very beginning were
actively involved in the lawsuit, trying hard to mitigate Safarov's
sentence.
"Azerbaijan even established an embassy in Budapest, with
representatives of Azeri and Turkish embassies present at court
hearings," Ms. Vardanyan said, adding that Safarov was later announced
a national hero in Azerbaijan.
In this context, she quoted Azerbaijan's Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova
and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev as saying, "Safarov must set an
example for the young generation" and "Armenians must be killed in
Nagorno Karabakh."
From: A. Papazian
Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was
hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant.
February 19 marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Armenian
officer Gurgen Margaryan.
February 19, 2014
PanARMENIAN.Net - Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen
Margaryan, 26, was hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow
Azerbaijani participant, lieutenant Ramil Safarov, in Budapest during a
three-month English language course in the framework of NATO-sponsored
Partnership for Peace program.
On April 13, 2006, Budapest District Court sentenced Safarov to life
in prison for murdering Margaryan. On February 22, 2007, Budapest
Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against the
verdict, precluding possibility of pardon for the initial 30 years.
By a decree of then-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, officer
Margaryan was awarded with a posthumous Medal for Courage on February
19, 2005.
In 2012, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.
Hungary, however, stated 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.
Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban first stated that he transferred
the prisoner to Azerbaijan on the understanding that he would serve
out the rest of his life sentence in his home country. In later
statements, Orban admitted that he not only signed the extradition
agreement himself, but that he had repeatedly been warned that if
Safarov were extradited to oil-rich Azerbaijian, he would be pardoned
and even celebrated by Ilham Aliyev's brutal dictatorial regime.
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.
"Hungarian prime minister is "morally bankrupt" and should resign
after admitting that he personally approved the transfer of the Azeri
axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences," the leader of
the opposition Socialists said.
Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban's comments that he
had been aware that Azerbaijan would release the life-sentenced Ramil
Safarov after his repatriation.
"Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan's assassin Ramil Safarov fulfilled
Azerbaijan's state order," lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan said.
"I am of the same opinion as I was eight years ago. It was a state
order," she said.
According to her, Azeri authorities from the very beginning were
actively involved in the lawsuit, trying hard to mitigate Safarov's
sentence.
"Azerbaijan even established an embassy in Budapest, with
representatives of Azeri and Turkish embassies present at court
hearings," Ms. Vardanyan said, adding that Safarov was later announced
a national hero in Azerbaijan.
In this context, she quoted Azerbaijan's Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova
and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev as saying, "Safarov must set an
example for the young generation" and "Armenians must be killed in
Nagorno Karabakh."
From: A. Papazian