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Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, who was killed by Azeri officer Ramil Safarov in Budapest on February 19, 2004, would have turned 34 today.

Yerevan State University’s 'Union of Young Students' NGO, Yerkrapah Volunteer Union and Gurgen Margaryan NGO organized today a march to Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan – the resting place of the slain Armenian officer.

“Every Armenian should realize that he could be in the place of Gurgen Margaryan and become the victim of Azerbaijan’s state policy,” Gevorg Melkonyan, head of the 'Union of Young Students' NGO, said in his remarks to participants.

“I express my condemnation of the Hungarian-Azerbaijani deal of Safarov’s extradition and announce on behalf of the Armenian youth that we stand by our state and army.”

At the end of the march, participants laid flowers at the graves of Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan, Andranik Ozanyan and Gurgen Margaryan.

On February 19, 2004, Armenian citizen, Lieutenant of Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, 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.

On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited convicted killer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, where Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned and released him on arrival. Furthermore, the ax-murderer was promoted to the rank of major, given an apartment and paid all salary lost during his imprisonment.

The international community strongly condemned both Hungary and Azerbaijan for their gross breach of justice and international law.