Hungary’s Socialists demand access to classified Safarov docs

September 7, 2012 - 19:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hungary’s opposition Socialist Party has asked the justice minister to grant access to documents connected with the Hungarian decision to extradite the Azeri assassin Ramil Safarov convicted for killing an Armenian officer in Budapest, Politics.hu reported.

Socialist lawmaker Gergely Barandy told a press conference that a review of the documents made in preparation of that decision could help clarify who and to what extent was responsible for Safarov’s transfer.

Safarov was repatriated last week, and was pardoned and released by the Azeri authorities on arrival in his home country, unleashing a diplomatic storm, with Armenia suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

“There seems a strong chance that the prime minister of Hungary let loose a criminal serving a life sentence for murder in the hope of material gain,” the Socialist politician said, referring to reports that the decision was tied to economic interests between the two countries.

Barandy said “the public needs more than assumptions”, calling for non-classified documents to be made public; he urged to grant lawmakers access to the related classified information.

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.