The extradition and pardoning of
the Azeri Ramil Safarov who killed with the axe the Armenian military officer
Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest eight years ago is the subject of discussions and
condemnation on different levels.

In 2004 in the capital of Hungary Budapest during the NATO two-month
program for officers Safarov hacked with the axe 26 year-old Gurgen Margaryan
when the latter was asleep. On April 13, 2006 the Hungarian court sentenced the
murderer to the life-imprisonment without the right to pardon within next 30
years.

Eight years after, on August 31
2012 the Hungarian Government handed over Safarov to Azerbaijan. Upon his
arrival the Azeri President Ilham Aliev granted a pardon and released the
murderer who was sentenced to life-imprisonment thus violating the law. Ramil
Safarov has been recognized a hero on the state level, was bestowed with the
military rank of major and an apartment.  

Armenia breaks off the diplomatic relations

On the same day, August 31 RA
President Serzh Sargisyan officially announced about the breaking off the
diplomatic relations with Hungary. «These joint actions of Hungary and Azerbaijan
opened a door for repetition of similar crimes in future. This decision gives a
message to the murderers. Now they know that murder on the ground of ethnic of
religious hatred will not be punished. I cannot tolerate this. Armenia cannot
tolerate this. Armenian people will not forgive this», stated RA President.

The only justification of
Hungary is that they have acted according to the Srasburg Convention on the Transfer
of Sentenced Persons and the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan assured in the
letter that the sentence of Safarov will not be changed and he will continue to
serve the sentence according to the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan which provides
the release on parole only after 25 years of serving the sentence.

«You were obliged not to transfer the murderer»

RA Minister of Justice Hrayr
Tovmasyan wrote in the letter addressed to his Hungarian colleague Tibor
Navracsics that he does not trust that the ground for transfer was assurance of
the Azeri party.

 “I am deeply convinced that you were obliged
to know the further destiny of Ramil Safarov after his transfer to Azerbaijan.
You had to know that you hand over the person who committed a murderer on the xenophobic
ground to the country where he is glorified. You were obliged to receive the
assurance and guarantee that the murderer will continue to serve the sentence
in Azerbaijan. Moreover, even in the case of receiving those guarantees you had
an obligation of not transferring the murderer as apparently these assurances
were hollow because many years this murderer was glorified by the Azeri
authorities”, wrote Hrayr Tovmasyan.

Victim
in the Safarov’s case will address to the international structures

Another officer Hayk Makuchyan
who was saved from the hack of the axe thanks to the Lithuanian officer,
believes his rights were violated and is going to restore the justice using the
legal means. To remind, he was recognized a victim in the case of Safarov by
the Hungarian court.

 “Now when the issue is politicized
and the Azeri autocrat impertinently granted a pardon to the criminal thus
challenged the international society and me personally, I as the Armenian
citizen will address to the international structures to restore the justice and
protect my rights”, told the information agencies Hayk Makuchyan. According to
him, the impunity of the criminals is paving the way for vendetta which is
inadmissible.

“The murder is the order of the Azerbaijan”, lawyer

Representative of Gurgen Margaryan’s
assignee lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan stressed out at the press-conference hold on
August 30 that she is convinced that the brutal murder was the state order and
from the first day of the trial Azerbaijan was striving to achieve the
acquittal or mitigation for the murderer.

“Armenia may refer to the international conventions
and sue Azerbaijan. By acquittal of Safarov Azerbaijan takes the responsibility
for murder of the Armenian officer”, told the lawyer to the information agency
“Mediamax”.

She added that nothing can do
furthermore at the legal level and something should be done on the state level.

Statement of the RA Human Rights Defender

RA Human Rights Defender Karen
Andreasyan also addressed the issue as the transfer of the criminal and his
further release led to the violation of rights of number of people in Armenia.

Defender believes that
principles of the international law have been violated as the Hungary could or
was obliged to foretell illegal consequences of the transfer.

“All classical purposes of the
sentence were disregarded which are: restoration of the social justice,
correction of the sentenced person as well as crime prevention. The actions of
Hungary and Azerbaijan completely failed all three purposes of sentence”,
stressed out Karen Andreasyan.

In his statement addressed to
the ombudsmen in more than 100 countries and number of international
organizations RA Ombudsman called to strongly condemn the extradition, pardoning
and glorification of the murderer who committed a murder on the ethnic ground.

“The silence or insufficient feedback of
progressive states and international organizations committed to democratic
values indirectly justifies and encourages murders against an ethnic
background”, summarized Karen Andreasyan.

The protest wave does not cease

Extradition and pardoning of
Ramil Safarov has distressed many people. Comments in Facebook social network
continue to be posted; many groups are created with the call to punish the
murderer Safarov.

Armenian hackers cracked more
than 20 Azeri state and media web-sites including the Azeri President’s
official web-site.

The Armenian protesters
continue to organize actions in front of the embassies and consulates of
Hungary in different countries. The general public and official Yerevan demand
the reaction of international structures and expect the adequate actions.

The hero of Artsakh war,
general-major Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan (Comandos) told on the press-conference
hold on September 4^th that extradition of Ramil Safarov is only the
first step of the strategy developed by Azerbaijan. “I have analyzed and
compared the situation and understand that the state is getting prepared for
war. As a military man I feel the smell of gunpowder in the air.”