Armenia: Remembering the Budapest Murder   · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the murder of 26-year old Gurgen Margarian, an Armenian officer attending a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest, Hungary. Killed in his sleep with an axe wielded by his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ramil Safarov, Margarian is commemorated by special posts made by some Armenian bloggers.
A slideshow of the February 19, 2009 commemoration in Yerevan, Armenia
Considered a hero by many in Azerbaijan because of the bitter war over the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh, many Armenians instead argue that Safarov's act proves the two peoples can never live side by side again. Posting a commemorative banner with Margarian’s face, Noni-no reflects on the incident.
Any time I see this face I shudder. I shudder to realize the fact that this guy was murdered in such brutality and by a cold-blooded animal.
One wants to speak out, to say how one feels, but the words are really not enough….
[…]
517 Design [RU] posts photographs from the official commemoration held in Yerevan and comments on attempts by some Azeris to turn the killer into a hero.
Сегодня Рамиль Сафаров сидит с пожизненнымм сроком в Будапеште…. На родине у себя его успешно возвели в ранг национального героя за то что тот убил армянина. Поиск дать если в сети «Рамиль Сафаров», дает огромное колличество сайтов, видео на ютюбе призывающих либо освободить его вовсе, либо же экстрадировать в Баку, где естественно тот будет незамедлительно отпущен на свободу…
Although some prominent Azeris spoke out against attempts to glorify Safarov, and while the authorities in Baku did disperse and prevent small rallies in his support, Kevork quotes from some of those who didn't.
[…] A drafted soldier or a committed volunteer fighter is different from an insane “patriot”, who [Azerbaijan officer Ramil Safarov] makes his way to Budapest, to find the Tesco supermarket for one reason only: “I feel sorry that I haven’t killed any Armenian” and put as simple as: “The only motivation for me for fight against Armenians and to kill as many as possible in the fight”.
[…] such people as the ones responcible for Human Rights issues from safarov's home republic declare : “r. safarov must become an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth.” Elmira Suleymanova, the Ombudswoman of Azerbaijan.
[…] Let alone interesting literary characters such as Agshin Mehdiyev, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe with his wise advise to the infidel Armenians, the guy: “does not advise Armenians to sleep safely until the Karabakh conflict is settled. Incidents like in Budapest cannot be ruled out.”
I am not sure that every single person from Azerbaijan could or would do the same and I am also not sure it is impossible to find someone in Armenia who would do so too. What I want to be sure about is that the society in the neighboring state does not accept this rotten food of the state-run policy of kill them, because then you get … I dont really know what exactly they get. […]
Rest in peace, Gurgen.