Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov sentenced for life in Hungary for killing an Armenian serviceman over an insult of Azerbaijan’s statehood has translated a book by renowned Hungarian writer Magda Szabo.

"The Door" novel is the first book translated from Hungarian into Azerbaijani. Safarov dedicated the book to his mother, Nubar-khanim, who passed away in October 2009.

The main characters of the novel are women, including its Hungarian author. In this psychological drama, Szabo depicted the image of a typical Hungarian woman. It tells the story of Emerencin, a pure and courageous lady who experienced utmost suffering and helped people while putting her life at risk, describing her life both before and after World War II, and her honorable death.

In the preface, Safarov wrote that there is much similarity in the lifestyle, culture and history of the Azerbaijani and Hungarian people.

He also noted that he was utterly concerned over the shape-up of a certain public opinion about the Hungarian people in Azerbaijan stemming from his clash with the mentioned Armenian serviceman in Budapest in 2004 and the ensuing court ruling that drew public ire in Azerbaijan.

"Though the verdict was quite baseless and unfair, it absolutely did not affect my respect for the Hungarian people. I hope that the book I translated will contribute -- at least slightly -- to our nations’ better awareness about each other, and further expansion and strengthening of our friendship ties."

The book’s editor, head of AssA-Irada international news agency and AzerNEWS English language weekly, PhD in Arab language studies, Fazil Guney (Abbasov), wrote in the preface: "Ramil, who despite being in prison has a free and unbending spirit, profound and comprehensive intellect that has gained acclaim among Hungarians, razes to the ground with his creative work the concoction about his being a murderer, a thug".

The book was edited at the AssA-Irada news agency and published at the Chirag publishing house.

Safarov, 34, was handed down a life sentence without the right to a parole for 30 years on charges of killing Armenian serviceman Gurgen Markarian, who insulted the Azerbaijani flag during a NATO course in Budapest. The Azerbaijani public condemned the Hungarian court’s harsh sentence, which was pronounced in April 2006 after a lengthy trial.

Safarov hails from Jabrayil, one of Azerbaijan’s regions that are under Armenian occupation. He witnessed torture committed against his countrymen and was among those Azerbaijanis who were ousted from their homes during the brutal war with Armenia in the early 1990s.

20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including the Nagorno Karabakh region, has been under Armenian occupation since the two South Caucasus republics signed a precarious cease-fire in 1994 following a lengthy war. Up to a million Azerbaijanis were displaced in the war that claimed some 30,000 lives. Efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Magda Szabo (1917-2007) is a great Hungarian writer known far beyond her country. Her first book, "Lamb", was published in 1947, followed by "Back to the Human" in 1949. The book received the Baumgarten Prize, but it was reclaimed for political reasons at the time. Szabo is also the author of such popular novels as "Fresco" and "Abigail". She has been honored with awards in Hungary and a number of other countries. Her books have been published in 43 countries. She was conferred with French literary prize Prix Femina Etranger in 2003 for "The Door" novel.