Article tools printable version email to friend comments (5) share the article Almost five years have past since the day when an Azerbaijani officer brutally killed an Armenian military serviceman in Hungary. But each time relations of either Armenia or Azerbaijan with Hungary are discussed, the assassination in Budapest on February 19th 2004 gets touched upon, in this one or another.
The crime was a shock for all Europe: Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov hacked with an axe the Armenian participant of the NATO English language courses, lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Armenia Gurgen Margaryan, while the latter was sleeping. Two years later Safarov got the most severe punishment provided by the Hungarian legislation. The City Court of Budapest sentenced him to life imprisonment with a right to appeal for amnesty after 30 years. The Appeals Court of Hungary left the verdict unchanged last year.
From that time on Azerbaijan has started working in two directions: to improve the significantly shattered image of Azeris in the eyes of the Hungarians and to prepare grounds for Safarov’s extradition to Baku.
“Hungary has no obligations to extradite military serviceman of Azerbaijan Ramil Safarov, who killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, to that country,” Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kinga Göncz stated recently at a press conference in Yerevan.
Despite the Foreign Minister’s comments, the Hungarian side has hinted several times that the issue of extradition has not been closed. The minister herself said that: “In case the question on passing Safarov on to Azerbaijan rises, the topic will beforehand be widely discussed in Hungary, because there are serious concerns on whether Ramil Safarov will serve the punishment in his homeland.”
That the issue of the possible extradition of the Azerbaijani officer will be widely discussed in Hungary has a double subtext. There is no doubt the Hungarian side is aware Safarov is declared a national hero in Azerbaijan and in case of his return he will hardly serve the term of the sentence.
In fact the Hungarian minister made it clear to the Azerbaijani authorities her country needs guarantees the verdict will remain in force and the criminal will serve the life imprisonment sentence Europe has defined for him in the context of the Hungarian justice system. But Azerbaijani avoids offering guarantees.
During the court trial in Budapest the Hungarians – journalists, lawyers, public figures, representatives of the Human Rights’ Defender’s institute would reiterate the country was shocked by the horrific crime that damaged Hungary’s image of a hospitable country. Göncz expressed the same idea in Yerevan: “It was a shock for the Hungarian society. The officers were invited to Hungary for contacts, and we hoped for a friendly atmosphere.” And it is because of that “shock” that the issue of extradition is essential for the Hungarians, and that was the reason the minister spoke of a “wide discussion”.
The newspapers in Baku reported the foreign minister of Azerbaijan Mammedyarov had “informed Göncz on Azerbaijani authorities’ position, which implies a desire to hold a just court trial for Safarov” during Göncz’s visit to Baku in April. With this, Azerbaijan’s number one diplomat had openly made it clear to the high ranked guest he does not believe in the justness of the Hungarian court. And also hinted Safarov’s verdict will be reviewed after extradition in accord with the Azerbaijani notion of ‘fair trial’.
No wonder then the Hungarian side needs clear and strong guarantees the verdict will be served and the Azerbaijani side is not going to give those guarantees. Even if the authorities of Azerbaijan manifested a willingness of the kind, in today’s Azerbaijan, where the murder of an Armenian is not considered a crime (that was stated by Safarov’s defenders during the last court trial in Budapest) and the photos of the ‘hero’ are on school copy-book covers, fulfilling it will be impossible.
tagyhi
Nombre de messages : 2513 Date d'inscription : 06/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Jeu 19 Fév - 12:09
5 ANS DEJA !
Une pensée ce jour pour lui.
Karin
Nombre de messages : 2663 Date d'inscription : 03/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Jeu 19 Fév - 17:27
Au niveau de la justice qu'en est-il du procés ????? Si j'ai bien compris l'assassin a été accueilli en héros chez lui????
tagyhi
Nombre de messages : 2513 Date d'inscription : 06/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Jeu 19 Fév - 20:19
Non à ce que je sache son extradition a été refusée.
Mais il est considéré comme un heros par nos ennemis...
Hungarian MFA doesn’t rule out possibility to extradite murderer of Armenian officer to Azerbaijan 17.11.2008 15:06 GMT+04:00 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is a possibility to extradite Azeri serviceman Ramil Safarov, the murderer of Armenia officer Gurgen Margaryan, to Azerbaijan. However, official Budapest did not undertake such commitment, Hungarian Foreign Minister said.
“The trial is over and the court has already announced the verdict. If the Azeri side requests extradition, the issue will be given a thorough consideration in Hungary, since there are serious concerns that Ramil Safarov will not suffer a just punishment in Azerbaijan,” Kinga Goncz told a news conference in Yerevan.
Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, who was in Budapest to participate in a three-month English language course which was part of the Partnership for Peace NATO-sponsored program, was axed, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant, Lieutenant Ramil Safarov on February 19, 2004.
On April 13, 2006 the Budapest Court of First Instance sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment. The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict in February 2007.
Safarov Case: Hungarian Laws Do Not Admit Extradition in Case of Life Imprisonment April 18, /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan and Hungary have no agreement on extradition of criminals, lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan, who defends interests of Gurgen Margaryan's family, stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In her words, if there had existed an agreement of the type, Safarov would not be sent to his fatherland.
«According to Hungarian laws, extradition is not allowed in case of life sentence. By this Azerbaijan merely disinforms the population on the Budapest trial,» she remarked. Vardanyan also added that the hearing on the second criminal case regarding Safarov due to his attacking the guard will begin on May 3. N. Vardanyan also thanked Armenian media for support and truthful publications.
tagyhi
Nombre de messages : 2513 Date d'inscription : 06/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Dim 2 Sep - 12:28
Հատուցելու եք Ձեր ստոր ձեռքերով այսօր Եվս մի կրակոց հասցրիք սրտիս: Բայց ես անպարտելի եմ դառնում օրեցօր, Իսկ դուք խոցվելով կընկնեք կողքիս:
Այսօր մի նոր զինվորի մոր աչքերից Նորից այդ աղի անձրևը թափվեց: Իսկ դրան փոխհատուցում ես` հայս, Արյան անձրևներ եմ խոստանում ձեզ:
Խաղաղ չեք լինի երբեք, Հանգիստ չեք քնի երբեք...
Հատուցելու եք մինչև վերջին ցորենի հասկը, Հատուցելու եք մինչև վերջին արյան կաթիլը, Հատուցելու եք Աշխեն տատի արտասուքը... Հատուցելու եք... Ու վերանալու եք... Հետքն անգամ ձեր չի մնալու:
Հիմա բարով քնեք... Իսկ վաղը` կտեսնեք:
HOKIT UGHE MER BAZUKNER ARTARUTEAN DCHAMPANERUN MEDJ !!!
tagyhi
Nombre de messages : 2513 Date d'inscription : 06/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Dim 2 Sep - 12:34
Cet assassin est libre... Je n'ai pas dormi... ET TOI "COMPATRIOTE" ????
Karin
Nombre de messages : 2663 Date d'inscription : 03/04/2007
Sujet: Re: GURGEN MARGARIAN Mer 5 Sep - 6:07
Secrétaire Général Jagland : «Il n’est pas acceptable qu’un meurtrier soit transformé en héros»