Today members of the Armenian Community of India, voiced their protest against Hungary, in front of the Hungarian Consulate in Kolkata, following the unjust release of a convicted murderer, Ramil Safarov by the Azerbaijan President after his unlawful extradition from Hungary to Azerbaijan. 

A petition was formally submitted to the Hungarian Consul in Kolkata by the members of Armenian Community. 

Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, Pastor of Armenians in India and Manager of Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy, wrote in his petition:

“Human life is God-given and a premeditated murder is a crime against humanity and God. On behalf of the Armenian Community of India, we demand an apology from the Government of Hungary for allowing the cruel murderer to escape the sentence of life imprisonment granted by the Hungarian court. This unacceptable decision undermines respect for justice, human rights, human dignity and negates the Divine law on earth.” 

While handing over the petition to the Consul, Father Khoren expressed his profound anguish saying that the Consul would become his hero, if he would quit his chair in protest against this unjust extradition. 

The Azeri killer was sentenced to life imprisonment for 30 years without parole, by the Hungarian judiciary, in 2006. In 2004, an Armenian army officer Gurgen Margaryan, 26 years old, was hacked to death with an axe while asleep by Ramil Safarov, a Lieutenant of the Azerbaijani Army. Both were participants of an English language training course within the framework of the NATO-sponsored “Partnership for Peace” program held in Budapest, Hungary. As the trial had demonstrated, the horrendous manslaughter took place only because Gurgen Margaryan was an Armenian. Having been detained by the Hungarian police, Safarov confessed to the act of murder of Gurgen Margaryan but never regretted committing it.

Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy