Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenian national Hrachya Harutyunyan, the driver accused of causing a fatal bus accident near the Russian village of Podolsk earlier this year, has been moved to another detention facility, Harutyunyan's daughter, Lilit Harutyunyan, told Epress.am. According to her, her father's health is good and he feels fine.
"We just have to wait for the trial, which will take place on Dec. 14, then we'll see what will happen," she said.
Lilit Harutyunyan didn't know to which detention facility her father had been moved. Epress.am's correspondent contacted Yeranuhi Tumanyan, who works at the RA Human Rights Defender's Office as an adviser for matters related to prisoners and who said her office gets all the latest information from Harutyunyan's attorney, Ruben Margaryan.
"The situation is as follows: due to his improved health, Harutyunyan was moved from the Matrosskaya Tishina detention facility to Butyrka [prison]. Currently preliminary testimonies are being taken, and, of course, we are waiting for the final results of the examination. Most likely, it will last for another month, as there are many questions that have to be answered — it's not only a problem of the brakes, but also several problems, which, due to the confidentiality of the investigation, I cannot disclose," said the RA Ombudsman's Office employee.
Recall, on Jul. 13, near Podolsk, just outside of Moscow, the breaks of the truck Hrachya Harutyunyan was driving gave out, and the truck hit a bus, killing 18 of the 64 passengers. If convicted, Harutyunyan faces up to 7 years in prison. The Armenian national also sustained injuries. In this state, he was taken immediately from the hospital to the courtroom dressed in a woman's housecoat, where he constantly tried to hide his face from the camera and wept. This treatment of a citizen of Armenia sparked a wave of protests outside the Russian embassy in Yerevan.