July 28, 2005 - 10:28 AMT
TRIAL OF MURDERER OF ARMENIAN OFFICER TO CONTINUE SEPTEMBER 27
The trial over the case of murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by Azeri military Ramil Safarov during their participation in NATO courses will resume September 27. Armenian MOD representative for the murder affair Hayk Demoyan reported that in the course of a recurrent session the Hungarian court will hear the evidence of second Azeri officer, who participated in the NATO courses. Armenian officer Hayk Makuchyan will also address the hearing. Hayk Demoyan, Hayk Makuchyan, Gurgen Margaryan's parents and lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan will leave for Hungary for participation in the trial. In Hayk Demoyan's opinion, the trial scheduled in September will not be the last one, as a third judicial and medical expert examination is necessary. R. Safarov was recognized compos mentis by the first expertise. The conclusion said Safarov has committed the murder in cold blood and compos mentis. The second expertise results differed from those of the first one: the conclusion noted certain weakening of Safarov's state of mind at the moment he was committing the crime. By a court resolution the two expert groups are scheduled to meet to produce a final conclusion. It should be noted that Azeri experts were present at the second expertise, however they did not have a right to influence the process in any way. In Hayk Demoyan's words, Azeri authorities are trying to use the evident protraction of the trial to solve domestic political problems. In his opinion, it is not casual for some Azeri politicians directly link the intention of Safarov's extradition to Azerbaijan with Karabakh settlement. It should be reminded that the Hungarian court has prohibited the Azeri party presenting documents and materials of propagandistic nature. Hayk Demoyan assured the Armenian party holds propagates in Hungary before the beginning of the recurrent hearings. In his words, the local Armenian community assists it as well. Meetings with Hungarian society members, the press continue. Hayk Demoyan said that in his opinion «to avoid tragedies of the kind it is necessary to competently struggle against them by means of corresponding propaganda and delivering a deserving counterblow to the Azeri party," Armenpress reported.