November 17, 2008 - 15:06 AMT
Hungarian MFA doesn't rule out possibility to extradite murderer of Armenian officer to Azerbaijan
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.