Though the Azerbaijani media has reported that a Hungarian prosecutor “asked the Court for Ramil Safarov to be imprisoned for 30 years,” that is not the case.

As a Hungarian journalist* clarifies from Budapest, the persecutor has requested “life sentence with minimum 30 years of imprisonment.” This is way different from asking for “30 years.” The persecutor also demanded “lifelong ban, expulsion from Hungary” for Ramil Safarov.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY February 19, 2004. Armenian citizen Gurgen Margaryan, 26 years old, was hacked to death 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.

I am not sure whether the last part means Safarov will be transferred to Azerbaijan to spend his sentence (which means letting him go free).

*the name is not identified until approved by the journalist who is a friend of mine