Safarov extradition biggest shame in our history, Hungarians say

September 3, 2012 - 22:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hungarian readers of PanARMENIAN.Net posted a number of messages on the agency’s website, apologizing for the official Budapest’s extradition of Azeri assassin Ramil Safarov.

“Dear Armenians! This is the biggest shame in our history. We are very sorry. You have one problem with our crazy prime minister. We have thousands every day!!!! He's destroying our country!,” one of the posts said.

“Shame on Orban. 90% of Hungarians support Armenians!!!!!!,” another post stressed.

Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer who was serving a life sentence in Hungary for axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Gurgen Margaryan

On February 19, 2004, 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 Partnership for Peace NATO-sponsored program. In accordance with Budapest District Court sentence dated April 13, 2006, Ramil Safarov was life imprisoned for murdering the Armenian officer.

On February 22, 2007, Budapest Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against a life sentence. The appeal court ruled that the decision brought by Budapest District Court against 30-year-old Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, should stand.

On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited Safarov back to Azerbaijan, where he was promptly pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev.