UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA TO SEE TO MURDERERS OF ARMENIAN STUDENT GET HEAVY SENTENCE

AZG Armenian Daily
27/04/2006

Chairman of Russia’s Union of Armenians, Ara Abrahamian, made a
statement in Moscow on Saturday on occasion of murder of 17-year-old
Armenian student Vigen Abrahamiants. “The Union of Armenians of Russia
expresses resentment over cruel murder of first-year student of Moscow
Management University. We, as well as many other Russian citizens,
are extremely concerned over the rampant crimes committed out of
nationalistic intolerance,” Ara Abrahamian said.

“Manifestations of fascistic aggression are the result of connivance
from the authorities and law enforcers and the inability to protect
a citizen’s basic right to life. We demand from the law enforcing
structures to find and strictly punish the criminals.” Ara Abrahamian
has no doubt that nationalistic groups stand behind the crime. He
told daily Azg that a preparatory committee was set to see to the
investigation, the Union has hired a lawyer and took care of the
funeral expenses. Today, a roundtable with the participation of
national and non-profit organizations will be held in Moscow to discuss
further steps of prevention of such crimes. Mr. Abrahamian believes
that organizations and the state should join in united front and not
leave the task to Russian structures only. “There are almost 700.000
Armenians in Russia that hold passports of both countries. Vigen
Abrahamiants was registered in Moscow region. The number of racist
murders has doubled as compared with figures of the last year,” the
chairman said. Raging intolerance is also the result of inadequate
assessment of situation by the authorities and the police. Such
behavior of the officials breeds new crimes. Nationalism is an evil
that is directed first of all against Russia itself.

By M. Hovsepian

P.S. On April 25, Vigen Abrahamiants was laid to rest at the Armenian
cemetery in Moscow. At the subway station where the Armenian student
was murdered his picture was put up, and his fellow students and
ordinary people who condemn intolerance placed flowers.

On the night of April 26, around 100 Armenians closed the crossroad of
Novi Arbat and Sadovoye Koltso in Moscow protesting the investigation
results of the murder. The Armenians were resentful at the opinion
that the student chased a girl at the underground and that’s why he
was murdered. They are sure that the law enforcers try to conceal
the real cause of the crime.