S. Ohanian: Gurgen Margarian was killed only because he was Armenian

In connection with the 10th anniversary of the murder of Lieutenant Gurgen Margarian in Budapest, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian visited today Yerablur Military Cemetery and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian officer, according to the press service of Defense Ministry.

“Ten years have passed and we came here to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian officer. Our officer was killed only because he was an Armenian, and the murderer confessed that he intended to kill an Armenian,” Seyran Ohanian said.

The defense minister then visited Gurgen Margarian’s family and spoke to his parents.

On February 19, 2004, while participating in a three-month English language course that was part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program, Lieutenant of the Armenian armed forces Gurgen Margarian was brutally murdered in Budapest by Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov. He was axed, while asleep.

Safarov was charged under Article 166.2 of Hungary’s Criminal Code. In April 2006 he was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility to appeal until 2036. The court ruling said that the murderer poses danger to society and could commit a similar crime again as he repeatedly declared that he was prepared to kill all the Armenians in the world.

On August 31, 2012 it became known that Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev issued a pardon immediately upon Safarov's arrival to Baku. Safarov was promoted to the rank of major and provided with accommodations by the Azerbaijan government.