Azernews.Az

BAKU – A novel by renowned Hungarian writer Magda Szabo, translated by Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced for life in Hungary for killing an Armenian serviceman, was presented in Baku on Wednesday.

The presentation, organized by the publisher of the "Qapi" ("The Door") novel, AssA-Irada news agency, was attended by Pakistani Ambassador Abdul Hamid, Hungarian Embassy adviser Zoltan Kotska and other diplomats based in Baku, as well as parliament members and journalists.

The book’s editor, General Director of AssA-Irada news agency, Fazil Abbasov, termed Safarov’s work as a major contribution to Azerbaijani literature.

"During the Soviet times samples of other nations’ literature were translated into our language mainly from Russian," Abbasov says. "Translations from the original source were allowed only for works translated into Russian. Translation of books that have not been translated into Russian was indirectly prohibited, and no publishing house or censor would accept them."

Abbasov noted that Safarov learned Hungarian not at the university but in prison, saying that this fact razes to the ground the Armenian concoction about his being "a murderer, a thug".

"It is not every man’s call to glorify and present to his nation a writer of a country which cast you behind bars and handed down a much more severe punishment than you deserved. The job that Ramil has successfully done shows that he’s got a good heart."

MP Zahid Oruj said the translation of "The Door" novel is not only a literary achievement but also has political importance.

"The biggest blow upon the image of ‘a killer’ that has shaped about him in the Hungarian community was dealt by Ramil Safarov himself," Oruj said, adding that the Azerbaijani officer’s sentence was too harsh.

Well-known psychiatrist, Prof. Nadir Ismayilov said Safarov had fallen victim of Armenianism.

"Ramil, who was ousted from his home at the age of 10-11 and witnessed firsthand the terrible scenes of Armenian atrocities time after time, raised his hand to the enemy soldier due to falling under emotional distress caused by Armenian hostility that occurred both in the past and before his eyes," Ismayilov said.

Researcher and journalist Reyhan Mirzazada briefed participants on "The Door" novel.

"The novel is the first book translated from Hungarian into Azerbaijani. The main characters of the psychological drama are women, including its Hungarian author."

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.