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Moscow bank hostage taker calls himself bankrupt businessman

It has been preliminarily established that the hostage taker is Aram Petrosyan, born in 1961

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. The man who took hostages at a Citibank bank in downtown Moscow just 800 meters away from the Kremlin says he is a bankrupt businessman from the Moscow Region, a police source told TASS.

The perpetrator said he was producing first aid kits until recently. He gave these kits to the bank’s clients and staff members.

According to the source, the hostage taker has demanded "setting up an institute of bankruptcy of individuals."

The law on bankruptcy of individuals came into force in Russia on October 1, 2015.

 The police have preliminarily established the identity of the hostage taker.

"It has been preliminarily established that it is Aram Petrosyan, born in 1961," the source said.

The Moscow police chief has personally entered talks with the bank seizer.

"Talks are being held personally by the chief of the Interior Ministry’s Main Department in Moscow Anatoly Yakunin," the source said.

According to a source, the assailant has freed the third woman hostage.

The hostage taker earlier released two women, the bank’s client and a staff member. Two people could be still held hostage, the source added.