Gurgen Markaryan
Encyclopedia
Gurgen Margaryan was a lieutenant
in the Armenian army who was murdered in Budapest
, Hungary
, on 19 February 2004 by Ramil Safarov
, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijan
i army.
, the capital of Armenia. He received his secondary education at School No. 122 in Yerevan and subsequently graduated from the State Engineering University of Armenia
with a bachelor's degree in engineering
. After completing his mandatory military service term, Gurgen Margaryan became an officer in the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia with the rank of lieutenant.
, Hungary, to participate in a three-month English language
course which was part of NATO's Partnership for Peace
program. On February 19 he was axed, while asleep, by his fellow Azerbaijani participant, Lieutenant Ramil Safarov. The murder took place at 5 am, while the victim was asleep. Gurgen's Hungarian
roommate, Balázs Kuti, remembers that on the evening of February 18, he had tea and went to bed, as he had fever, while Gurgen Margaryan busied himself with his studies. Around 9:30 PM, Margaryan went to visit another program participant from Armenia, Hayk Makuchyan
, who was staying in another room.
Kuti does not remember when Gurgen returned, but early in the morning he felt that someone had turned on the light. He thought it was Gurgen returning to the room, but after hearing some muffled sounds, he turned his head away from the wall and saw Safarov standing by Gurgens bed with a long axe in his hands:
A postmortem concluded that Safarov had delivered sixteen blows to Margaryan's face, nearly severing his head from his body. Earlier, a briefing given by the Hungarian police added that Margaryan had also been stabbed several times in the chest. After he killed Margaryan, Safarov went forward with his plan to murder Makuchyan, but discovered his door was locked. Kuti had run out of his room and summoned the police, who promptly arrived at the scene and arrested Safarov. During interrogation he confessed to killing Margaryan.
A Budapest policeman commented that the murder had been conducted "with unusual cruelty," adding "beside a number of knife wounds on his chest, the victim's head was practically severed from his body."
. They argued that he had gone through psychological trauma during the Nagorno-Karabakh War
, and that he and his family had been subject to Armenian atrocities in the region of Jabrayil
. However, this contradicted a statement Safarov had made when he said he had been studying in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku
and in Turkey
from 1992 to 1996. A mental health examination conducted by an Azerbaijani doctor concluded that he was not "entirely sane". Another examination found that Safarov was of stable mind at the time of the murder, and the judge chose to believe this assessment. An Azerbaijani physician alleged, based on his supposed personal conversations with Safarov, that his motives stemmed from his belief that Margaryan had insulted the Azerbaijani flag in front of other participants in the NATO seminar. Controversially, the defense called no witness to confirm that such an incident ever took place.
On April 16, 2006, the court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
without possibility of appeal until 2036. The judge, Andras Vaskuti, cited the premeditated nature and brutality of the crime and the fact that Safarov showed no remorse for his deeds as the reasons for the sentence.
On February 22, 2007, a Hungarian court upheld the ruling following an appeal filed by Safarov's lawyer.
authorities punish the perpetrator to the maximum extent of the law. The Armenian Foreign Ministry expresses its condolences to the family, relatives and colleagues of Lieutenant Gurgen Margarian."
) of Azerbaijan, declared that Safarov's punishment was far too harsh and that "Safarov must become an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth." Fuad Agayev, a prominent Azeri lawyer, said that Azeris "...have to urgently stop this current campaign to raise Safarov to the rank of national hero. He is no hero.”
military cemetery.
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Armenian army who was murdered in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, on 19 February 2004 by Ramil Safarov
Ramil Safarov
Ramil Safarov was a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani Army who was convicted for the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in 2004, in Budapest. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary.-Biography:...
, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i army.
Education
Margaryan was born in YerevanYerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, the capital of Armenia. He received his secondary education at School No. 122 in Yerevan and subsequently graduated from the State Engineering University of Armenia
State Engineering University of Armenia
The State Engineering University of Armenia is a technical university located in Yerevan, Armenia. Established as the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1933, it provides educational and research programs in various fields of technology and science related to engineering...
with a bachelor's degree in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. After completing his mandatory military service term, Gurgen Margaryan became an officer in the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia with the rank of lieutenant.
Murder
On January 11, 2004, he left for BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary, to participate in a three-month English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
course which was part of NATO's Partnership for Peace
Partnership for Peace
Partnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 22 States are members...
program. On February 19 he was axed, while asleep, by his fellow Azerbaijani participant, Lieutenant Ramil Safarov. The murder took place at 5 am, while the victim was asleep. Gurgen's Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
roommate, Balázs Kuti, remembers that on the evening of February 18, he had tea and went to bed, as he had fever, while Gurgen Margaryan busied himself with his studies. Around 9:30 PM, Margaryan went to visit another program participant from Armenia, Hayk Makuchyan
Hayk Makuchyan
Hayk Makuchyan is an Armenian officer and friend of slain Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Markaryan. He is notable for being the second target of Ramil Safarov.- Personal life :...
, who was staying in another room.
Kuti does not remember when Gurgen returned, but early in the morning he felt that someone had turned on the light. He thought it was Gurgen returning to the room, but after hearing some muffled sounds, he turned his head away from the wall and saw Safarov standing by Gurgens bed with a long axe in his hands:
A postmortem concluded that Safarov had delivered sixteen blows to Margaryan's face, nearly severing his head from his body. Earlier, a briefing given by the Hungarian police added that Margaryan had also been stabbed several times in the chest. After he killed Margaryan, Safarov went forward with his plan to murder Makuchyan, but discovered his door was locked. Kuti had run out of his room and summoned the police, who promptly arrived at the scene and arrested Safarov. During interrogation he confessed to killing Margaryan.
A Budapest policeman commented that the murder had been conducted "with unusual cruelty," adding "beside a number of knife wounds on his chest, the victim's head was practically severed from his body."
Trial and verdict
During the trial, Safarov's lawyers attempted to convince the judge that he had an unstable mind, and claimed that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorderPost-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
. They argued that he had gone through psychological trauma during the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
, and that he and his family had been subject to Armenian atrocities in the region of Jabrayil
Jabrayil
Jabrayil is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The region was occupied in 1993 and has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Hadrut Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War. According to the last 1989 Soviet census, there were 49,156 people in the rayon. According to...
. However, this contradicted a statement Safarov had made when he said he had been studying in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
from 1992 to 1996. A mental health examination conducted by an Azerbaijani doctor concluded that he was not "entirely sane". Another examination found that Safarov was of stable mind at the time of the murder, and the judge chose to believe this assessment. An Azerbaijani physician alleged, based on his supposed personal conversations with Safarov, that his motives stemmed from his belief that Margaryan had insulted the Azerbaijani flag in front of other participants in the NATO seminar. Controversially, the defense called no witness to confirm that such an incident ever took place.
On April 16, 2006, the court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without possibility of appeal until 2036. The judge, Andras Vaskuti, cited the premeditated nature and brutality of the crime and the fact that Safarov showed no remorse for his deeds as the reasons for the sentence.
On February 22, 2007, a Hungarian court upheld the ruling following an appeal filed by Safarov's lawyer.
Armenian
Armenia's ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed outrage and vehemently condemned the crime, stating that it "...expects that international organizations will assess this crime appropriately and react. At the same time, we demand that the HungarianHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
authorities punish the perpetrator to the maximum extent of the law. The Armenian Foreign Ministry expresses its condolences to the family, relatives and colleagues of Lieutenant Gurgen Margarian."
Azerbaijani
Many officials in Azerbaijan have publicly condemned but privately praised Safarov's actions. Zardusht Alizade, an Azeri political scientist, said that Safarov would have been a national hero, if not recognized as someone who had committed a crime, for which he must be punished. Elmira Suleymanova, the human rights commissioner (ombudsmanOmbudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
) of Azerbaijan, declared that Safarov's punishment was far too harsh and that "Safarov must become an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth." Fuad Agayev, a prominent Azeri lawyer, said that Azeris "...have to urgently stop this current campaign to raise Safarov to the rank of national hero. He is no hero.”
Burial
Margaryan's body was flown back to Armenia and was buried at YerablurYerablur
Yerablur is a military cemetery located on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia. Since 1988, Yerablur has become the home of the Armenian soldiers who have lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh war...
military cemetery.
External links
- Budapest Case - on the murder of Lt. Gurgen Margaryan: Safarov's testimony, eye-witness accounts, Armenian and Azerbaijani Responses