Resident of Yaroslavl claims rejection of his right to protection because of nationality

Yuri Petrosyan, a resident of the city of Yaroslavl, asks Russian President Dmitri Medvedev to help in fair investigation of the incident, in which he and his son-in-law, a Chechen by nationality, received gunshot wounds.

The incident took place in Yaroslavl on April 17, 2010.

The 60-year-old resident of Yaroslavl writes in his open letter addressed to Mr Medvedev, Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin, heads of power agencies of the Russian Federation, deputies and mass media that an unknown man in a Volga car had blocked his car.

Then, instead of apologies, the Volga driver started insulting Yuri Petrosyan and his son-in-law Magomet, who was with him. When Magomet demanded apologizes, the driver named Ivanov, as it later turned out, took out a pistol struck Magomet with its handle, and then started shooting.

According to Yuri Petrosyan, he and his son-in-law are refused to initiate a criminal case against the assailant.

"They say that this guy's father has connections in the militia; therefore, they wouldn't open the case. Why are Yaroslavl militiamen refusing to talk to us like to human beings, and openly call us 'skibbies' at interrogations? Why am I, a Russian citizen who was born and grew up in Yaroslavl, denied the fundamental right to defence on the basis of my nationality? Aren't laws in this country same for all its citizens?" Yuri Petrosyan wrote in his letter.

He placed his letter on the pages of his web diary in the "LiveJournal".

So far, the militia gave no comments.