Armenia has cut diplomatic ties with Hungary after Budapest allowed an Azerbaijani national , Ramil Safarov, who was convicted of killing an Armenian tourist to return to his home country.

Armenia has cut diplomatic ties with Hungary after Budapest allowed an Azerbaijani national , Ramil Safarov, who was convicted of killing an Armenian tourist to return to his home country. The man was pardoned after returning to Hungary.

“I officially declare that starting today, we cease diplomatic relations and all official ties with Hungary,” Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said during a meeting with UN ambassadors.

In 2004, Safarov traveled to Budapest to study English in NATO's 'Partnership for Peace program.' While there, he murdered Armenian national Gurgen Margaryan, who was attending the same course. Safarov killed Margaryan with an ax while he slept.

In his initial testimony, Safarov explained that he killed Margaryan to avenge his relatives killed during the 1993 Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the majority ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan where he was born.

In a revised version of his testimony, Safarov claimed that Margaryan had insulted Azerbaijan's national flag.

The trial was held in Budapest in 2006; a Hungarian court sentenced Safarov to life in prison, and he could not appeal for pardon for 30 years.

But on Friday, in accordance with the Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Safarov was extradited to his home country. He was pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

President Sargsyan accused Hungarian authorities of colluding with Azerbaijani authorities to have Safarov released.

“The Hungarian authorities have to understand that they made a big mistake. They actually made a deal with Azerbaijani authorities,” he said.