MURDER OF ETHNIC ARMENIAN IN MOSCOW SAID TO BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED

Channel One TV, Moscow
30 May 06

[Presenter] Today the northern transport prosecutor’s office put out
a search warrant for the criminal suspected of killing 19-year-old
Artur Sardaryan. This young man was stabbed several times on a Moscow
Region train in front of dozens of people. A criminal investigation
has been opened under the article on murder motivated by racial
hatred. Aleksandr Konevich reports.

[Correspondent] Eduard Sardaryan has had only one question on his mind
for several day: Why? Why was his son killed? Nearly everyone from
his block of flats attended the funeral yesterday. The 18-year-old
[as received] was known and loved by everyone. The Sardaryan family
have been living in the Moscow Region town of Pushkina for 17 years.

[Eduard Sardaryan, father of Artur, holding a photograph of his son]
It’s impossible to keep quiet. I have no words to describe it. This
boy was due to go into the army, to serve Russia. He is a Russian. He
should have served Russia. I don’t understand why he was killed. Why?

I still can’t understand it. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] He studied at college and then, two months ago,
began working. He was returning home on the evening train. That
evening was like any other, but Artur never reached his destination.

Klyazma station. This is where the killers of Artur Sardaryan got on
the train. Several people came into the carriage and immediately upon
seeing the young man went towards him, shouting “Glory to Russia”.

Artur managed to run away but they caught up with him and he was
stabbed several times. The wounds were inflicted at random, but
targeted the places they would do most damage. It is clear that this
is not the first time the criminal had used such weapons. Artur died
at the scene.

According to the latest information, there were two criminals. One of
them pressed the emergency stop button, the second handled the knife.

There were about 20 people in the carriage. Currently some of them
are providing witness statements.

A terrible murder – even these words are not strong enough. Six knife
wounds, five of which were in and around the heart.

[Simon Tsaturyan, Eduard Sardaryan’s lawyer] Going into the carriage
he [the murderer] purposefully headed towards Artur Sardaryan –
purposefully. So, he had already chosen his victim, he didn’t need
to look for his victim. He must have spotted him from the platform.

[Correspondent] The prosecutor’s office doesn’t doubt that this is
a racially motivated killing. They are not even investigating other
scenarios. The criminal investigation has been launched under that
article [of the Criminal Code]. Thanks to the witnesses a photo fit
picture of the killer has been created.

[Yelena Rossokhina, senior aide to Moscow Region prosecutor] A photo
fit picture of the suspected killer has been created based on the
testimony of the witnesses. He is a young man, who looks about 20-25
years old. He is of medium height, well-built and is of Slav appearance
with light hair. And, according to the witnesses, he looks as though
he is from the provinces. [Passage omitted]

[At 1400 gmt Ekho Moskvy radio featured Tsaturyan who stressed that
there was no doubt this was a racially motivated crime. “The murderer,
as he landed the fatal blows, shouted ‘For Russia! Glory to Russia!’,”
he said.

The station added that, following Sardaryan’s murder, the Russian
Union of Armenians is planning more protests against xenophobia. Head
of the union Ara Abramyan said: “We must realize that the problem
of racism is intricate, extremely complex and the whole apparatus
of the state must be mobilized to solve it. Without this, it will be
impossible. We need to involve the media, the school system, higher
education institutes. The whole of civil society needs to raise
and address the problems, as I have said repeatedly. Our actions,
what we are doing and saying and will continue to do in the future,
is a way of supporting the authorities and the image of our state.”]