YEREVAN. – Bringing Hrachya Harutyunyan to court with a robe was unacceptable. Now, he needs not solely a legal defense, but a moral and psychological support.

Attorney Ruben Baloyan said the aforementioned during a press conference on Thursday.  

“[But] I do not think he will receive this support from the Russian [legal] defenders; at least one or two defenders need to be sent [from Armenia] to defend Harutyunyan. I stand ready to go to Moscow and defend our compatriot,” he said.   

Baloyan added that he does not ask for money to defend Harutyunyan, but means are needed to carry out legal defense in Russia.   

“That person, who is responsible for permitting the operation of the vehicle, likewise should be brought to account. In traffic accident cases, a person is arrested when he is proven guilty. [But] at present, his [that is, Harutyunyan’s] guilt is not proven,” the attorney maintained.    

Also, Ruben Baloyan expressed a conviction that Harutyunyan should be turned over to Armenia, where he should serve his sentence.  

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a truck crashed into a passenger bus on July 13 outside Moscow, and it was found out that the truck driver was an Armenian citizen by the name of Hrachya Harutyunyan. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had split in two. The accident claimed 18 lives and about 50 others were hospitalized. The court had Harutyunyan arrested on Monday. To note, he was brought to the courtroom with slippers and a women’s robe. This fact caused widespread discontent among the Armenian public, and protests were staged across the Russian Embassy in Armenia.              

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am