Europe must be warned over Baku’s naming streets after criminal – expert

September 4, 2012 - 17:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan commented on recent extradition and release of Azeri criminal Ramil Safarov, given a life sentence in Hungary over the murder of an Armenian lieutenant.

“If international organizations fail to react to Safarov’s extradition, leaving Azerbaijan unpunished for pardoning the murderer, one can safely say that any cannibal tribe in Africa could become affiliated with them,’ the expert told a news conference.

“Recent events proved Azerbaijan’s pursuit of systematic policy of Armenophobia, while bringing up a criminal society.”

“Azerbaijan is on the loosing side of foreign policy issues, with recent events clearly showing that Aliyevs haven’t learnt even the most basic diplomacy lessons,” the expert said.

Meklonyan went on to draw parallels between Turkish and Azeri societies, noting heroization of criminals as common occurrence in both countries.

“Azerbaijan’s naming a street or a school after a criminal should serve as a warning to Europe,” the expert said.

Gurgen Margaryan

On February 19, 2004, Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant, lieutenant Ramil 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 the Armenian officer.

On February 22, 2007, Budapest Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer's appeal against a life sentence. The appeal court ruled that the decision brought by Budapest District Court against 30-year-old Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, should stand.

On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited Safarov back to Azerbaijan, where he was promptly pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev.