(Reuters)–An Azeri officer who killed his fellow Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian with an ax at a Budapest military academy pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday–saying he took revenge for Armenian attacks on Azeris–Hungarian news agency MTI reported.
"It was not my plan to be so cruel–savage," 27-year-old Ramil Safarov told the court. When asked why he almost severed the head of the victim–he said–"because they did the same to 8,000 people of ours."
In February–Safarov entered the Armenians room–stabbed him several times with a knife–and struck him repeatedly with an axe–almost severing his head. Both were participating in a NATO Partnership for Peace English language course.
Safarov was charged with committing premeditated murder with extreme cruelty–and faces possible life imprisonment if found guilty–a Budapest Capital Court press official told Reuters.