Armenian community of Hungary to litigate government decision on extradition of Safarov
02.11.2012,
14:31
Armenian community of Hungary is to litigate the decision of the Hungarian Government to extradite Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov who killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with axe in Budapest in 2004.
YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. Armenian community of Hungary is to litigate the decision of the Hungarian Government to extradite Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov who killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with axe in Budapest in 2004. The heads of the community conveyed their decision at the meeting with the Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.
On February 19, 2004, lieutenant of Armenian Army Gurgen Margaryan, who was in Budapest for an English language course under NATO “Partnership for Peace” program, was brutally murdered with axe in his sleep by an Azerbaijani officer and a participant of the same course Ramil Safarov. On April 13, 2006, the first instance court of Budapest sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment with no right of pardon during 30 years. In February 2007, the Court of Appeal left the sentence unchanged. But On August 31, 2012, Ramil Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by President Ilham Aluiev.
The leaders of the Armenian community in Hungary are going to apply to the court, challenge the Hungarian authorities’ decision and prove that extradition of the Azerbaijani murderer is against, first of all, the Hungarian laws, the press service of Armenian Ministry of Diaspora reports.
The head of the community Sevan Sargsyan informed the Minister that, after the extradition, the government of Hungary withholds further discussions, which creates problems in negotiating over the issue. Sargsyan pointed out that the Armenian community is cooperating with progressive-minded public men and intellectuals, as well as with the oppositional mass media outlets.
Extradition of the murderer to Azerbaijan and further presidential pardon aroused indignation in Yerevan. Armenia suspended diplomatic relations and all official links with Hungary. Many countries and international organizations, including the EU and the European Parliament, expressed their concern over the pardon of Safarov.
Many experts believe that Safarov’s matter has seriously affected the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. –0--
