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Over 50 people gathered in front of the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, expressing their discontent regarding leading Hrachya Harutyunyan into the Moscow Court in colorful woman’s dressing gown.  The driver of “Kamaz” is the main accused person over the case of a tragic road accident that occurred in “New Moscow”, in which 18 passengers of the public bus were killed.  The relatives of the accused also joined the protest action.

His brother Hayk Harutyunyan told in an interview with “Izvestia” that “I am mourning for those, who were killed in the accident, because I have also lost people and I know what it is.”

“However, this doesn’t mean that they should humiliate a person and treat him like a terrorist. In fact, Hrachya did it unconsciously and struggled to the end, trying to prevent the collision with the bus”, he stated. “We understand how painful it is for the victims’ relatives, but to neglect and trample on human rights by exposing him before the court in such a way is vile.”

Anahit Martirosyan, wife of the driver added that Hrachya wasn’t the man to wear him a dressing gown and demonstratively lead him to the hearing so that the whole world watched and mocked him.

“He participated in Karabakh War and has his contribution in the defense of his own country”, stated Anahit. “My husband went to Russia to earn money to put up a gravestone to his son, who died in his youth last year at the age of 21.”

Another action of protest was held in front of the building of Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, where young activities unsuccessfully tried to hand a T-shirt with “Armenia” to Consul General Vasily Korchmar.

“Since the prisoner can’t provided with a shirt in Russia, we are trying to hand this T-shirt to Harutunyan through a diplomat”, explained the protestants.

“I do not intend to go out to them and passed it through the Police”, told “Izvestia” Korchmar. “We were expecting people to come and express their condolences for 18 people who were killed and many other who are seriously injured. Whereas, these young people are not so much grieved about this tragedy by either throwing a T-shirt or a dressing gown to us.”

By the diplomat’s words, the RA Police and Security Department officials, who and been called, were at the moment in the Consulate General building.

“The gathered protestants have almost blocked the main entrance. The Police and Security are unable to do anything at this point”, stated Korchmar.

The tragic accident in “New Moscow” was an occasion for some Armenian nationalist organizations to remind of themselves.

Kiro Manoyan, Head of the Yerevan office of “Hay Dat”, member of the Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation “Dashnaktsutyun” noted in a talk with “Izvestia”, “In relation with this incident, Moscow may well cause a wave of anti-Russian moods in Armenia”. Certain nationalist organizations inflate it by ignoring the fact that the Foreign Ministry, the Ombudsman and the RA Chamber of Advocates are already involved in the issue.

Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, termed the incident with the Armenian driver as “disgrace” in an interview with “Izvestia”.

“The person with health issues, without adequate medical care being provided to him, was led into the courtroom in an improper way. This is an approach of human dignity humiliation”, he thinks.

According to the Armenian human rights defender, “The state is obliged to protect the rights, dignity and interests of its citizens.”

“Izvestia” revealed whether or not the Armenian Embassy in Moscow had undertaken any measures in order to resolve the situation and to provide Harutyunyan with other clothing.

“We learned about the tragedy on TV news. And from the very first hours we were trying to contact the Russian law-enforcement bodies by the phone numbers available to us”, stated Edward Dzhambazyan, Press-Secretary of the Armenian Embassy. “But on that day we couldn’t get though anyone, is was maybe due to the weekend, we didn’t know he needed clothes.

By the diplomat’s words, now the embassy employees are doing their best to meet with the accused, to clarify the situation and give him decent clothes.

“Today we are going to have a talk with investigators from Moscow in order to clarify everything and pass clothes to Harutyunyan.”

Source in Russian version: http://izvestia.ru/news/553840#comments