YEREVAN. – Sunday, February 19, 2012 marks the eight anniversary of the Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan’s killing by the Azerbaijani military member, Ramil Safarov.  

The murder had taken place in Budapest, where two Armenian military servicemen were taking part in an English-language course organized by NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.

In 2006, the Budapest court sentenced the Azerbaijani killer to life in prison, and without a chance for pardon for thirty years. And the reason for the brutal murder was simply that Margaryan was Armenian.  

Eight years have passed since this shameful murder, yet Azerbaijan continues its attempts to return its “hero” back to the homeland.

During her visit to Armenia, Hungary’s then-FM Kinga Göncz had noted that Safarov could be returned to Azerbaijan, but Hungary had no such obligation. “The key issue is whether Safarov’s life sentence will continue to be applied in Azerbaijan,” she had said.     

And in August 2011, when Ramil Safarov turned 34, several Azerbaijani media even congratulated him, and considered him a “true fighter,” a “heroic son of Azerbaijan,” etc.