Safarov extradition, pardoning eventually condemned by Russia

September 3, 2012 - 16:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Foreign Ministry has eventually issued a statement, commenting on Hungary’s extradition of assassin Ramil Safarov, who was granted pardon on his arrival to Azerbaijan.

“Russia, as OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, is deeply concerned over Baku’s pardon of lieutenant Ramil Safarov, sentenced to life in prison for murdering an Armenian officer, as well as the Hungarian leadership’s decision to extradite him to Azerbaijan,” spokesman for Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich commented.

“The actions of Azeri and Hungarian leadership run counter to international efforts to decrease regional tensions,” the spokesman said in the statement.

“We’ll be expecting OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ assessment of the situation in near future,” the statement said.

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.