Hungarian-Armenians Inquire Their Government About Repatriation of Azeri Ax-murderer

BUDAPEST — The self-government of ethnic Armenians in Hungary has asked Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics in a public letter whether Hungary had turned to any international forum since the repatriation of Azeri officer Ramil Safarov a year ago, politics.hu reports.

Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing an Armenian in Budapest in 2004, was transferred back to his home country on August 31, 2012 under an extradition agreement. Although Azerbaijan formally pledged that the life sentence handed down to him in Hungary would be directly continued when he was returned to his homeland, the Azerbaijani president granted him clemency.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced the same day that Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary.

Two days later State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Zsolt Nemeth summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador to his office and condemned the Azerbaijani step as unacceptable to Hungary in a diplomatic note.

In the public letter, the Armenian self-government noted that Safarov had committed a premeditated murder for a base reason, calling his brutal act “a continuation of the Armenian genocide”.

“God’s fifth commandment – ‘You shall not murder’ – became weightless in Budapest in August 2012 when the government favoured Azerbaijan because of ‘national interests’,” the letter added.

The self-government asked if Hungary had turned to international forums with a complaint about Azerbaijan’s action and what measures the government was going to take to enforce the law.

It is to be feared that, with the diplomatic note, the government considered the affair settled, the Armenian self-government said.