March 9, 2011 - 21:41 AMT
OPINION
Armenian officer’s murderer translates books in prison

Presentation of a Hungarian author’s book translated by former Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who is serving his life sentence for the murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, was held in Baku.

Apparently, the murderer decided to take up translation to while away the time.

When presenting the book, Azerbaijani philosopher Fazil Abbasov, without shame, described the book as “another merit of the Azerbaijani son Ramil Safarov”, evidently implying the killing of a sleeping Armenian to be his first achievement.

Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was hacked to death while asleep by fellow Azerbaijani participant Safarov in Budapest during a three-month English language course in the framework of Partnership for Peace NATO-sponsored program.

In accordance with Budapest District Court sentence dated April 13, 2006, Ramil Safarov was life imprisoned for murdering Margaryan. On February 22, 2007, Budapest Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against the verdict which excluded possibility of pardon for the initial 30 years. The appeal court ruled that the ruling brought by Budapest District Court against 30-year-old Ramil Safarov, should stand.

Baku doesn’t give up attempts to extradite Safarov to Azerbaijan, however, as representative of the Armenian Defense Ministry Hayk Demoyan said at a court session, “if Hungary agrees to extradition, it should inform Armenia of the intention.”

“However, the gravity of the crime and absence of mitigating circumstances makes extradition impossible,” Demoyan emphasized.