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.

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Later Safarov rejected his own evidence given during the first interrogation claiming there had been a miscommunication between him and the interpreter.

The copy of text in our possession was not of a good quality and in some parts the text was not readable at all. Those parts are mentioned further as "[unclear]". Where sensitive personal data was subject to removal it was marked as "[skipped]".

Translated from Hungarian into English by Liana Badalyan.

Budapest Police Headquarters
Inspection Major Department
Life Protection Department (word by word translation)
Life Protection Minor Department

Number: 136-I-144/2004.

Police Record

About the examination of the suspect

It was prepared by the Life Protection Department, the Criminal Code 166 §(1) paragraph, against and according to that, because of the crime of first-degree murder reasonable suspicion against unknown delinquent namely Ramil Safarov by the occasion of the examination at Budapest, Gyorskocsi street 31.at the year of 2004 month 02 and day, at 14:28.

PRESENTED:

From the side of the detective:

[unclear] Bela

Participants in the procedure and their legal statues:

Ramil Safarov, delinquent

Dr. Hornyak Gabor, defender

Timar Zsuzsanna, Interpreter

Data of delinquent:

Name: Ramil Safarov
Place of birth: Dzebrail Karabah Azerbaijan
Date of birth: [skipped]
Mother’s name: [skipped]
Nationality: Azerbaijani
ID number:
Passport number: [skipped]
Occupation: soldier
Work place: [skipped]
Phone Number:
Permanent Address: [skipped]

[unclear]

He is allowed to use his mother tongue both in oral and written form. A translator is used for the preparation of the police record.

Data of the translator:

Name: Timar Zsuzsanna
Address:
Language of the translation: Russian

The translator signed that she agrees with the lawful behavior of the translator. According to 103. § (1)

[Interrogator:] I’m informing you to know that according to Be. 179 § (1) you are examined as a delinquent, because in 2004.02.19 at around 5 a.m. at Budapest, X. district, Hungari krt in 9-11 in Zrinyi Miklos National Defence University, K building, II floor, in the room N218/A, with the help of an axe hit on the head and on the neck, as well as on the chest of an Armenian citizen namely Gurgen Margaryan, who was sleeping on the bed at that time. As a result the named person died on the spot.

This crime according to the criminal code 166 §(1) and the paragraphs a,) d,) f,) is: was conceived deliberately, with the extremely cold cruelty, as well as suspecting the willingness of murdering others.

I warn you that according to Be. 196 you can deny the fact of suspecting.

[Safarov:] I understood the suspecting, I do not take objection, because I did the action.

[Interrogator:] According to the Be. 117§ (2) paragraph I warn you that you are not obliged to make a confession, at any time you can deny to answer the questions, but you can decide in the way that you make a confession even if previously you denied it. I warn you that whatever you say can be used as evidence.

According to the Be. 117 § (4) I warn you that if you deny making a confession this will not make any obstacle to continue the procedure. The deny of making confession do not [unclear]. I warn you if you make a confession, and in your confession you accuse falsely someone else with crime action you commit the crime of false accuse.

According to the Be. 179 § (3) I warn you that you can use a defender or you can ask for the defender.

I warn you that in this procedure you are obliged to have a defender and if within three days you will not have defender I will appoint one for you.

According to the Be. 43 § (2) you have the right in the crime procedure that any change in the suspecting, the subject of the accusation must be known by you, as well as you should be present when expert is examined [unclear].

You have the right to get enough time and possibilities to be prepared for the defense, to make suggestions, remarks, reflections, to take remedy, about the rights and obligations of the criminal procedure from the court, from the prosecutor, from the inspectors. You have the right to contact with your defender and if you are the foreign citizen to get contact with the consul of your country and with him or her you have the right to contact without monitoring both orally and in written form; until the application of the indictment the prosecutor, after that the court has the right to decide whether you can contact with your relatives or with other person in oral form with personal monitoring.

According to the 43 §(5) I warn you that you are obliged to give the address of place of your living and the change of the address if you move within three working days to that court or to that prosecutor, who is making a procedure against you. If you missed to do this you will be obliged to pay fine.

[Safarov:] I understood the warning about my rights and I declare that I would like to make a confession; I understand the translator and I do not have any objection against her. I also understood that during my examination Dr. Hornyak Gabor, defender, is present.

Other data about the delinquent:

Mother tongue: Azerbijani
Spoken languages: Russian, English, Turkish
Education Status: High education (University)
Marital Status: Single
Children under the age of 18: none
Bearer or caretaker? No
Under bear or caretaker? No
Monthly Net Income: I don’t want to manifestate

[skipped]

[unclear]

The confession of the delinquent

[Safarov:] For the question I would like to say that whole thing goes back to 1988 Armenian-Karabahi War, after which there was cease-fire, but nobody kept this cease-fire, but the very tragedy that I was talking about happened in 1992 February 26. At that time Armenian soldiers attacked the Karabki Hodzani* area, where were only civil citizens, particularly children and women and old people and around 8000 people were killed. This is my blood; I called them relatives in the future. Armenians occupied my place of birth for 1 year in 1993, August 25. This is also memorable as it happened on the date of my birth. I don’t know how many people were killed at that time, but even though it’s huge number. That was the time when I lost part of my close relatives as well. I applied to the army in 1991, this was a soldier secondary school, after 1 year I received further training in Turkey, where I received certificate (secondary and high education). The only motivation for me for fight against Armenians and to kill as many as possible in the fight. Me, as being azeri soldier, took weapon in order to protect my home, and there were other reasons as well, such as that after the collapse of the Soviet Union the army was destroyed and I felt that new army needs me.

[Signatures]

In this new army every soldier is Azerbaijani. I declare that time I have not killed any other Armenian, just helped injured soldiers to get to hospital. In addition I feel sorry that I haven’t killed any Armenian. My army sent me to this training and being here I have to face the fact that two Armenian were learning with me and I have to say that because of personal effectiveness the feeling of animosity grow up in me. In the beginning we were greeting each other, rather to say they said hi to me, but I didn’t accept it and curiosity in the whole thing was that when they walked close to me they were mumbled something in Armenian and laughed at me. That was the time when I decided that I will kill these two persons, the Armenians, I will cut their head off. The reason for this is that Armenians kill Azerbaijanians in the same way. What I already mentioned – the 8000 people carnage happened this way by Armenians. I didn’t plan the murder of the two Armenian at that day, but just at Ferbuary 26, taking into consideration an anniversary, but because of that laugh at me the feeling of animosity became bigger and bigger and that’s why I decided that that day in the morning I kill both of them. That’s why yesterday, at the 18th, around 19.00 I bought an axe near to Tesco at Nepstadion. I decided next to axe, because however I had a knife, I rather though I will not use that, because if I pierce them through by the knife, they may shout, shout for help, but if I hit their head by the axe, they loose their consciousness and will not be able to shout for help. This whole thing that I commit this today was thought out yesterday in me, but as I have mentioned previously, I was planning the two persons murder on the 26th. I would like to make a remark, that I also bought a honing stone for the axe and the knife.

[Interrogator:] You mentioned axe in your answers as tool of the murder that we took at the place of the murder. Could you please draw that?**

[Safarov:] I will call the drawn tool as axe in the future. The handle of the axe was around 1 meter long and the iron part was red, color of the light tree. Upon this I bought a dagger[knife], whose blade could be around 20 sm, and the handle was black and plastic. The drawing of the tool, that I called axe and about the knife I gave to the inspector.

After I bough the axe, after 19.00, I returned to my accommodation at Hungaria krt. At room number 219/A I was alone, because my room mate – Ukrainian soldier traveled home, because of the death of one of his relatives. I hide axe, the knife and the honing stone under my bed case. After this I did my English homework, I closed my door with key and starter to sharp, after that I went out to the hall to have a cigarette, in the bath. I was up till 5 a.m. and I haven’t slept at all and then I grabbed the axe and I put the knife into my right pocket. The reason for choosing this early time, because according to my knowledge this is the time, when sleeping is the deepest, when they do not wake up for small noise, and I also have to be sure the place where the person that I wanted to kill was sleeping, because his room mate is the Hungarian citizenship. I didn’t want to heart him, because he is really nice guy. My aim was that I would come here first, because this was closer to my room and after I finished with him I will go back to the end of the hall. The other reason for this that the person I wanted to kill first is a muscular, more athletic person, and I decided to start with him.

[Interrogator:] Do you know the names of the attacked person or the person you wanted to attack?

[Safarov:] I appeared in the middle of the hall, where I was about to go, I tried to open the door, it opened, it wasn’t close. I turned on the light and I saw the following things in the room: Entering the door on the left bed the Armenian was lying facing the wall. The Hungarian was on the right hand side bed, I didn’t pay any attention the way he was lying. As I turned on the light the Armenian turned to his back, trying to open his eyes, but at that time I hit him at his forehead with the flat side of the axe. At that time Hungarian guy woke up and told me in English: ”Please, please, [unclear]"

I told him this is not your business; this is the business of Armenians and azerbaijans. After this I turned the axe to the sharp side and I afflicted to the middle of his neck, and I don’t know where else, but I hit him on his leg too.

[Interrogator:] How many times did you hit with the axe?

[Safarov:] Three times on his neck and if I remember right with the flat side of the axe I hit on his face, at that time if I remember well [unclear] after hit on his arm and his leg. As I remember around 6-7 or maybe 8 could be the number of hits, but I do not really remember.

[Interrogator:] In which hand did you hold the axe and how?

[Safarov:] As I’m being right handed I hold it in my right hand. Answering the question, when I afflicted by the axe I stood at armenian’s head. When I afflicted on his neck with the sharp side of the axe, then I afflicted from the top pf my head three times. Since the handle of the axe was long, the other hits were made in the same movement. Going back to the Hungarian guy, he run out form the room and in the next room and woke up the Uzbek and Ukrainian students, if I know it well then he went to the security on the first floor. The Hungarian guy except shouting at me did not obstruct me from finishing what I have planed, because when he saw me I’ve seen on him that he was very frightened, he was shacking, he became white, but physically he did not obstruct. Answering the question, I had a black bound hat on me and ADIDAS jogging and sport shoes. In the pocket of the trousers there was knife.

When I afflicted, in the first hit I did it in silent, after that I started to shout at the plaintiff and abused him.

Police Record stopped at 16.08
Police record continued at 16.15

[Safarov:] The abusement happened in Russian. After Hungarian guy run out, I finished the hitting and left the room. When I went out then the plaintiff was still alive, but I know what I caused him is a death injury, because I almost separated his head from his body.

I went out to the hall and started to go to the other Armenian, but I didn’t know exactly where is his room. Two rooms were closed by key, on the hall there was nobody. I tried to open and checked whether it’s closed, and I knocked. One of the door, which was closed, somebody opened it, also two of my soldier mate live there. One of the Ukrainian as I know looked out form the room. I asked from him where the Armenian is sleeping, he said he swear that he don’t know. After that I started to hit the other closed door by axe, the door in front. First I hit with the flat side of the axe and [unclear].The door didn’t open, I think that they didn’t let it open form inside. I shouted to him that: “Come out, wherever you hide, I find you”, I shouted in Russian.

After this in the hall four or five students appeared. One of the Uzbek student jumped to me and said to calm down. We even lit a cigarette and then another Azerbaijani student woke up. We went out to the hall form the small place in front of the room. I hold the axe in my hand and one Albanian student mate of mine came and I started to talk to him.

When the other Azerbaijani fellow woke up he was totally in shock. He looked at the axe and he saw the blood on it and I think that was the time, when he realized what I did. He started to cry and after that the police came.

I do declare that my Azerbaijani fellow did not know anything about my plan. Even though I didn’t tell him what I wanted to do, because he has serious perspectives, aims, goals, I didn’t want to ruin his life as well. It can be imagined that if I didn’t have done this than in another time in another place I would have done the same. If there would have been more Armenians at school and if I would have the possibility I would not only try to kill two persons, but rather I would commit the crime on all. However this was the first and I didn’t have the chance to prepare more punctually to commit this action.

I’m being a soldier since 14 years now, but I cannot give an answer whether I would kill if I would be a civil person. I didn’t wondering on the question whether I would kill Armenians if I would be a civil. My job is to kill all, because until they live we will suffer. This conflict is not a new one, goes back to 100-200 years.

[Interrogator:] Have you ever commit any other crime except this?

[Safarov:] This was the first.

[Interrogator:] In that room, where you were looking for the second Armenian, was light on?

[Safarov:] No, when I knocked and door did not open I went out to the front of the room. That was the time when the two students opened the door of the room and after my question they said that they do not know where the Armenian lives, I turned on the light in the room to convince myself that they tell the truth.

[Interrogator:] Did you hurt the victim with the knife that was with you, did you use the knife?

[Safarov:] I didn’t even took it out off my belt. When the police laid me down on the ground I myself told them that the knife is with me.

[Interrogator:] Did you smoke in that room, where you killed the Armenian?

[Safarov:] After I finished I lit a cigarette. I was smoking, smoking and then I threw it. First it fell on the chest of the Armenian, then from there onto the bedclothes.

[Interrogator:] Why did you throw the cigarette onto the body?

[Safarov:] Since I hate them so much and I was prepared for the revenge for so long it was a relieve for me. As long as I didn’t care about him it didn’t mean whether I threw the cigarette onto the ground, or on his bed or into his eyes.

[Interrogator:] If they would open the door or if you could get into the Armenian’s room then what you have had done?

[Safarov:] I was in a state of mind that I would have killed him. If I wanted it very much I could have open the door. When I saw that the others are in the hall that feeling disappeared. Actually the others stopped me. If they wouldn’t have been there I definitely do what I planed.

[Interrogator:] Did the victim, who you attacked, try to protect himself in any way?

[Safarov:] No, no, he didn’t do anything, since he turned from his side after turning the light on to his back.

[Interrogator:] Or willingness was to kill or to cause suffer and kill him that way?

[Safarov:] My willingness was that since he is an Armenian his mother would cry as much as our mother cried when they lost their child. The whole was just revenge.

[Interrogator:] From the way you have done that, as you first hit with the flat side of the axe and just after that you used the sharp side of the axe, did you want to cause pain or you just wanted him to die?

[Safarov:] My intention was to kill. I didn’t want to cause a big pain, I wanted to kill. The reason why I hit immediately on the head, because I have seen such film, that the victim dies from a hit. Simply I wanted to liquidate him. Although after this in front of my eyes appeared those pictures that I have seen earlier. Sawing them I continued to hit. Moreover I have to admit, when I turned on the light and I first saw the Armenian I wanted to turn back. But when he turned and wanted to open his eyes I couldn’t think about anything else. It can be that if he didn’t turn I would have hit him.

[Interrogator:] During your army, did you get any training, whose aim was to annul physically others?

[Safarov:] Everybody learns how to fight closely at school, how to kill person by knife, by hand or by an axe.

[Interrogator:] Did you drink anything, any alcohol?

[Safarov:] I never drink alcohol. I am Muslim and I ask you until I here take it into consideration.

I cannot say anything else in respect to this case and I don’t want to, this report contains what I have said after translating it and reading it out I sign.

[Signatures]

* Khojaly (?)

** In Hungarian there is different word for the axe, that’s why they asked this question

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