YEREVAN. – It was clear from the very beginning that the court trial into the balloon explosion in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan is a farce and an attempt to put the blame of one of Armenia’s greatest disasters on one person, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.    

“It was also clear that it is the organizers of the [ruling Republican Party] RPA concert-rally who are guilty for what happened because they knew of the danger. In an interview yesterday [Wednesday] with our reporter, an acquaintance of Serob Bozoyan—the sole defendant in the case—confirmed that Bozoyan had cautioned the concert organizers several times that the [cheaper] option they had ordered was dangerous and explosive.       

[But] Disregarding these warnings, RPA’s notorious figures took those very balloons to [Republic] Square, [and] distributed those very balloons to the hundreds of youth attending the concert,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes. 

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a tragedy occurred during the ruling Republican Party of Armenia’s (RPA) parliamentary election campaign rally and concert held at Yerevan’s Republic Square on May 4. Hundreds of balloons filled with gas exploded and started to burn. Subsequently, the balloons’ melted rubber fell on the event participants. Those near the stage were affected the most, and 154 people were injured.

Subsequently, German plastic surgeon Adrian Daigler, who was invited to Armenia upon the instruction of President and RPA leader Serzh Sargsyan, operated on nine patients who suffered injuries from the balloon blast. And the last patient was discharged on July 2.      

Serob Bozoyan, who had filled these balloons, is charged with manufacturing and selling products not meeting safety regulations and causing harm to two or more people.