U.S. hints it wants to see Azeri murderer Safarov behind bars

September 11, 2012 - 12:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Victoria Nuland said the United States is in touch with Azerbaijan regarding the pardon of Armenian officer’s murderer Ramil Safarov.

“ Well, we, as you know, issued a statement about this after the Hungarians released him back to Azerbaijan, and we have been in touch with the Azerbaijanis and urging them to meet commitments that they reportedly made to the Hungarians in advance of the release,” she told a daily press briefing.

On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited Safarov - who brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep during a Budapest-based NATO language course in 2004 - to Baku to serve no less than 25 years of the life sentence imposed by the Hungarian justice system. However, immediately upon arrival, Safarov was pardoned by the Azerbaijani President, given an 8-year salary and promoted to major.

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.