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Moscow urges Tallin to step up investigation into Russian national’s death

Russian national Dmitry Ganin died in Tallinn in 2007 when local police used force to disperse the demonstrators who went out to defend the "Bronze Soldier" monument

MOSCOW, March 19 /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry is seriously concerned with Estonia’s unwillingness to investigate the death of Russian national Dmitry Ganin who died in Tallinn in 2007, the ministry’s spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

Dmitry Ganin was among one thousand protesters who gathered in central Tallinn on the night from April 26 to 27, 2007 to defend the "Bronze Soldier", a monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated the Estonian capital from fascists during WWII which the Estonian authorities ordered to relocate from the city center. The demonstrators included both the citizens of Estonia and Russians who had arrived in Tallinn. The local police used force to disperse the demonstrators provoking riots in which Dmitry Ganin was killed and hundreds of others were arrested. The murder of the "Bronze soldier" defendant caused mass protests in Russian society.

"The actual inaction of Estonian law enforcers cannot but cause our serious concern, especially because an action limitation period on this case is expiring in three years. Is it the goal which the Estonian side is seeking to achieve?" Lukashevich asked.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has sent "another official note to the Estonian Foreign Ministry demanding to take exhaustive measures to step up the investigation and identify and punish persons responsible for the death of Russian national Dmitry Ganin.