YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: A year after the extradition of the Azerbaijani murderer Ramil Safarov Armenpress talked to the Head of the Armenian community of Hungary Sevan Sargsyan, touching upon the current policy led by Hungary and its attitude towards the Armenian community. 

- About a year ago, on August 31 2012, Hungary extradited the murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, after which Armenia suspended the diplomatic relations with Hungary. What has changed within this year?

- Nothing has changed. We have just clearly realized that the Hungarian government’s actions had been planned beforehand.

- What steps does the Hungarian government make to apologize before Armenia and restore the relations with our country?

- The government of Hungary does not make anything in that direction. They are certain that the deal they had made with Azerbaijan was fair and legal. This case is closed for them and they do not intend to apologize before Armenia.

 - What is the role of the Armenian community in this issue?

- Every day this issue is being discussed in Hungary, as via the Hungarian media we strive to keep it alive and do not let anybody forget what an awful deal was committed by the Hungarian government

- What is the attitude of the Hungarian government towards Armenians?

- Our relations are getting worse day by day. The Hungarian authorities try to make our live there more difficult. They try to exclude us from any field. After this case the Armenians of Hungary cannot feel safe, which means that if something like that happens, nobody can guarantee that the same situation will not take place.

On February 19 2004 in Budapest Azerbaijani assassin Ramil Safarov, who axe-murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan while sleeping with 16 blows, when they were participating in NATO English Language Courses in the capital of Hungary, was sentenced to life imprisonment without right to be pardoned for 30 years. On August 31 2012 Safarov was extradited from Hungary to Azerbaijan and was pardoned by the President Ilham Aliyev. The murderer was advanced to mayor, provided with an apartment and given «national hero» and compensated for the 8 years of the imprisonment in Hungary. Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary. The extradition, pardoning and release of Safarov were condemned by many countries and authoritative organizations of the world. (THE FULL INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Seda Manukyan, Syune Barseghyan