Romania’s Armenians protest Azeri killer extradition

September 7, 2012 - 11:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Community of Romania organized a protest at Hungary’s embassy in Bucharest against the Hungarian government’s decision to extradite the Azeri criminal, Ramil Safarov, back to Azerbaijan, after he was sentenced to life in 2004 for murdering Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest.

The protest then continued in front of the Armenian Cathedral of Bucharest, located in a busy distict of the city. The Church bells rang several times after which the community members gathered on the sidewalk in front of the Cathedral with protest sheets that read: “The Armenian People will not forget”, “We are Gurgen Margaryan”, “Solidarity with the Armenians of Hungary”, “Shame on the Hungarian Government”.

Also, in front of the Armenian Cathedral of Bucharest a banner was displayed, explaining the purpose of the protest to the Romanian public.

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.