22 years since the murder of Gurgen Margaryan
In 2004, 26-year-old Senior Lieutenant Ramil Safarov and another Azerbaijani officer arrived in Budapest to participate in a three-month English language course within the framework of NATO’s “Partnership for Peace” program.
Two Armenian officers, 25-year-old Gurgen Margaryan and Hayk Makuchyan, were also attending the course. All participants resided at the dormitory of the Miklós Zrínyi National Defense University of Hungary.
On the morning of February 19, at approximately 05:00, Safarov entered the room where Gurgen Margaryan and his Hungarian classmate, Balázs Kuti, were staying. Using an axe he had previously purchased from a store, Safarov struck the sleeping Margaryan 16 times in the head and neck area, causing his death.
Balázs Kuti, waking up from the noise and witnessing the event, attempted to stop the attacker and then ran out to call for help. The police, arriving shortly at the scene, arrested Safarov.
The trial took place in Hungary. The defense attempted to justify Safarov’s actions by the influence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. A court-appointed psychiatric examination found him sane.
In Hungary, Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the first 30 years. The judge justified the decision by the exceptional cruelty of the crime and the fact that the defendant showed no remorse for his actions.
On August 31, 2012, Safarov was transferred to Azerbaijan for the further service of his sentence.
On the same day, he was pardoned by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Additionally, he was granted an apartment and promoted to the rank of major, receiving back pay for the eight years he had spent in custody.
This decision led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary. Diplomatic relations between the countries were restored in 2022.
