Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev met with the extradited and pardoned murderer of Armenian officer, Ramil Safarov, to “congratulate” him on the release.

The Minister also conferred a major rank on Safarov and wished him “every success in military service.”

Safarov, who was sentenced to life by a Hungarian court for the murder of Armenian office Gurgen Margaryan in February 2004, was extradited to Azerbaijan on Aug 31 and immediately pardoned by the country’s President Ilham Aliyev.

In response, Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary.