YEREVAN. – It is incomprehensible as to why Armenia is surprised at Azerbaijan’s true image after the Ramil Safarov case, Caucasus Institute Director, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan said during a press conference on Thursday. 

In his words, Safarov’s extradition could have surprised Europe, but not Armenia and Azerbaijan. “I was very much surprised that Armenia yet again ‘uncovered’ Azerbaijan’s [true] image following Safarov’s extradition,” Iskandaryan added.   

As per the analyst, the fact that such incidents have occurred before, should conclude that it would have been impossible to get in the way of the talks for Safarov’s extradition. “If you are asking whether this incident can be used in diplomacy, it is certainly possible,” the analyst said.  

Alexander Iskandaryan believes the European countries’ reaction to what transpired is not surprising and it is predictable. “Hungary likewise was angered by its own government’s decision to extradite Safarov. The European community cannot react in any other manner,” he noted.   

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence—and with no expression of either regret or remorse—for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted him a pardon.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.    

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning is condemned by virtually all international organizations.