BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)—On Sept. 7, representatives from Armenian organizations met with Dr. Gabor Garai, the Hungarian consul in Boston, to voice their outrage at the Hungarian government’s decision to extradite Ramil Safarov—who in 2006 was convicted of axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Markaryan—to Azerbaijan last month, where he received a hero’s welcome.
The delegates expressed their consternation at the Hungarian government’s unremorseful stance, despite being warned in advance of the consequences of the extradition. They stressed that support for Safarov in Azerbaijan is the crystallization of rabid anti-Armenian sentiments there. Armenians will never be safe under Azerbaijani control, they said, adding that in order to undo some of the damage, Hungary must recognize Nagorno-Karabagh’s independence, or at the very least the right of its people to self-determination. Garai assured the delegates that he would relay their concerns to the Hungarian government.
Garai was presented with a copy of the latest issue of the Armenian Weekly, which provides detailed coverage of the developments surrounding Safarov’s extradition and release, as well as Anna Turcotte’s Nowhere, a Story of Exile, which tells the story of the author’s experiences in Baku as a child, and her escape to Armenia.
Present at the meeting were ANCA Eastern Region Chairman George Aghjayan, ANCA Eastern Region Director Michelle Hagopian, Sarhad Karaguezian representing Boston’s ARF “Sardarabad” Gomideh, AYF Central Executive Board member Sosse Beugekian, and Armenian Weekly Assistant Editor Nanore Barsoumian.
There must have been signed agreements between Hungary and Azerbaijan regarding the release of the axe murderer. What was their content? Armenia ought to demand that all documents be publicly released.