<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Sylfaen","serif";color:#333333">Azerbaijan persuaded Hungary to release
a convicted murderer </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%"><br></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%">The Azeri
serviceman, Ramil Safarov, was</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"> </span></span><em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;background-color:white;font-style:normal">given a life sentence </span></em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%">without parole</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%"> <span style="background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">in 2006 by the Budapest City<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><em><span style="background-color:white;font-style:normal">Court</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"> </span></span>for axing to death an unarmed Armenian Gurgen Markarian<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%">during
a NATO-sponsored training program i</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%">n 2004 in Budapest. The murder was done with a particular brutality: </span><em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;background-color:white;font-style:normal">Safarov </span></em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:white">had struck Markaryan<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;background-color:white;font-style:normal">16</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:white">times
with an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;background-color:white;font-style:normal">axe</span></em><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:white">, decapitating
him while the latter was sleeping in his dormitory room.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Sylfaen,serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><br>

</span></p><p class="pagpag2" style="margin:0cm 0cm 12pt;line-height:12pt;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;background-color:white;line-height:12pt">On
Friday (August 31, 2012), Safarov was </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;line-height:12pt;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">flown to his home
country</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;background-color:white;line-height:12pt"> Azerbaijan from Hungary and upon
arrival pardoned by president Aliev.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;background-color:white;line-height:12pt"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;background-color:white;line-height:12pt">The White House immediately criticized the decision to free convicted
murderer, and some US newspapers touched upon an </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;background-color:white;line-height:12pt">Azerbaijan
and Hungary’s  deal to purchase by Azerbaijan of  3 billion euros in Hungarian bonds.  </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height:115%"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">The Hungarian opposition
started  demanding the resignation of
the Vice-Prime Minister of Hungary, minister of Justice Tibor Navracsics over the
freed prisoner, while Armenia cut off diplomatic ties with Hungary.  </font></span><span style="line-height:115%"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">The question remains, is semi-feudal
and oil-rich Azerbaijan so powerful to buy justice and engage a European country
in its dishonest deals? </font><font face="Sylfaen, serif" style="font-size:12pt"></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">

<font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:14.545454025268555px"> </span></font></p><div><p class="pagpag2" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:12.0pt;background:white">

<a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/08/197250.htm" style="line-height:12pt">http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/08/197250.htm</a></p><p class="pagpag2" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:12.0pt;background:white">

<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/31/statement-nsc-spokesman-tommy-vietor-azerbaijan-s-decision-pardon-ramil-?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl">http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/31/statement-nsc-spokesman-tommy-vietor-azerbaijan-s-decision-pardon-ramil-?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl</a>
</p><p class="pagpag2" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:12.0pt;background:white"></p><p class="pagpag2" style="margin:0cm 0cm 12pt;line-height:12pt;background-color:white">

<a href="http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/31/obama-deeply-concerned-about-safarov-pardon/" style="background-color:white;line-height:12pt">http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/31/obama-deeply-concerned-about-safarov-pardon/</a></p>

<p class="pagpag2" style="margin:0cm 0cm 12pt;line-height:12pt;background-color:white"><a href="http://iwpr.net/report-news/murder-case-judgement-reverberates-around-caucasus"><span lang="EN-US">http://iwpr.net/report-news/murder-case-judgement-reverberates-around-caucasus</span></a></p>

<p></p>

<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.2pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://budapest.sumgait.info/safarov-interrogation.htm">http://budapest.sumgait.info/safarov-interrogation.htm</a></span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>

<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.2pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><br></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.2pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">

<span style="background-color:transparent">Narine Khachatryan </span></p></div>Media Education Center<div>Yerevan, Armenia</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.mediaeducation.am" target="_blank">www.mediaeducation.am</a></div>

<div><a href="http://www.safe.am" target="_blank">www.safe.am</a></div><div><a href="http://www.immasin.am" target="_blank">www.immasin.am</a><br><div><br></div></div><br>