Ramil Safarov
Azerbaijani officer who was convicted of the murder of an Armenian lieutenant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ramil Sahib oghlu Safarov (Azerbaijani: Ramil Sahib oğlu Səfərov, [ɾɑˈmil sɑˈhip oɣˈlu sæˈfæɾof], born August 25, 1977) is an officer of the Azerbaijani Army who was convicted of the 2004 murder of Armenian Army Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan. During a NATO-sponsored training seminar in Budapest, Safarov broke into Margaryan's dormitory room at night and axed Margaryan to death while he was asleep. In Azerbaijan, Safarov has become a highly celebrated figure for his killing of an Armenian.[1][2][3][4][5]
Ramil Səfərov | |
---|---|
Born | (1977-08-25) August 25, 1977 (age 46) |
Occupation | Lieutenant colonel in Azerbaijani Army |
Criminal status | Extradited to Azerbaijan, pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev |
Allegiance | Azerbaijan |
Motive | Anti-Armenian sentiment |
Conviction(s) | Premeditated murder |
Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
Details | |
Victims | Gurgen Margaryan, 25 |
Date | 19 February 2004 |
State(s) | Hungary |
In 2006, Safarov was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary with a 30-year minimum. After his request under the Strasbourg Convention, he was extradited on August 31, 2012, to Azerbaijan, where he was greeted as a hero,[6][7][8] pardoned by Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev despite contrary assurances made to Hungary,[9] promoted to the rank of major and given an apartment and over eight years of back pay.[10] According to Azerbaijani authorities, Safarov was pardoned in compliance with the Constitution.[11][12] Following Safarov's pardon, Armenia severed diplomatic relations with Hungary and immediate protests broke out in Yerevan.[13] The extradition was widely condemned by international organizations and governments of many countries, including the US, Russia and France.
In a 2017 investigation into the Azerbaijani laundromat money-laundering scheme, it was uncovered and revealed that several bank transfers in 2012, totalling more than USD $9 million, made to the Hungarian MKB Bank account in Budapest right around the time when the Hungarian government extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan.[14][15]