“Azerbaijan justified Safarov’s actions and turned him into a hero. We used this as a basis to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The ECHR asked questions to the governments of Hungary and Azerbaijan; did Azerbaijan really not violate appropriate conventions regarding the right to life? The communication phase is almost over, and I believe we will know of the ECHR’s decision this year. Our demand is to have Safarov returned to Hungary or another third country to receive punishment,” Gurgen Margaryan’s family lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan told reporters. On February 19, 2004, Azeri soldier Ram Safarov murdered Armenian military officer Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO partnership program.
Vardanyan noted that, according to international conventions, Azerbaijan as a state is responsible for this incident. “It has to take on the full responsibility for Safarov’s crime. I always said that this was a state order. Safarov wouldn’t have done such a thing on his own. He was an officer with a sense of the future. I don’t think that he didn’t realize that he wouldn’t be punished for this. If he weren’t convinced that his country would be behind him, he wouldn’t have done it.”
Nazeli Vardanyan also said that discussions are being held to appeal to the International Criminal Court to hold Azerbaijan responsible.
Luiza Sukiasyan
