Armenian minister insists on severe punishment for Azeri officer

Arminfo
12 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Armenia will insist that Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov be
punished with the utmost rigour of the Hungarian law.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told a news conference today
that Armenia’s stance on the issue had been clear from the very
beginning: this is a criminal matter which should not be given a
political undertone.

“Armenia will be consistent is seeing to it that the criminal is
punished with the utmost rigour of the Hungarian law,” the minister
stressed.

To recap, on 19 February 2004, the Azerbaijani officer, Ramil Safarov,
hacked his Armenian counterpart Gurgen Markaryan to death while the
latter was asleep. The Hungarian authorities have charged Safarov with
murder.

The legal hearings are expected to resume in February.