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Karen Drambjan (Template:Lang-ru, Yerevan, 26 July 1954 – Tallinn, 11 August 2011) was an Armenian-born Estonian lawyer and left-wing politician. He was shot dead in a firefight with the police in the Estonian Defense ministry building in Tallinn, Estonia on 11 August 2011.

Drambjan graduated with a law degree from the Kaliningrad State University in 1992. In 1993 he was granted Estonian citizenship.

Drambjan ran a law firm in Maardu. In 2007 he defended Larissa Neštšadimova, the spokeswoman of Nochnoy Dozor on charges stemming from a standoff with police near the Bronze Soldier before the Bronze Nights, but had to yield the case to a "more qualified" lawyer as the case moved toward the Supreme Court of Estonia.

Drambjan was divorced and had two daughters from the marriage. In 2011 he had run into financial difficulties and his apartment in Maardu was sold by court bailiffs.

Political activity

Drambjan was a member of the Estonian United Left Party, a successor of the Estonian Communist Party, which sought to represent the Russian minority in Estonia. In the 2007 parliamentary elections in Estonia he was a candidate for the Constitution Party. According to the Estonian Security Police the Constitution Party was a puppet-party supported and controlled from Russia, created by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) in 2007 as part of their campaign of "political intelligence manipulations".

In the 2009 municipal elections, after the merger of the Constitution Party, he was a candidate for the Estonian United Left Party in the Russian dominated Maardu munincipality, but failed to get elected. He was known as a fierce supporter of Maardu mayor Georgi Bõstrov.

During campaigning for the European Parliament election, 2009 Drambjan published an essay stating that the Estonian Government has chosen civil war in its relationship with with the Russian minority. He calls Estonia a morally bankrupt neo-Fascist county. He blames the Russian community of a slavish mentality in the face of discrimination.

Attack on Estonian Defence Ministry

On 11 August 2011 at around 3 P.M. Drambjan entered the Estonian Ministry of Defence headquarters building in central Tallinn armed with a pistol with about 100 rounds of ammunition and a bag containing ten to fifteen explosives. He opened fire in the entrance hall and detonated smoke bombs, but was not able to pass a security gate and enter the interior of the building. At the time the building was guarded by members of Kaitseliit. He temporarily held two people captive, including one security guard. In a joint operation carried out by the police and the Kaitsepolitsei, the police K-Commando unit stormed the building and killed Drambjan in an exchange of fire.

Defence minister Mart Laar was not in the building at the time.

Reactions

• Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip believes Drambjan may have been inspired by the 2011 Norway attacks.
• Dimitri Klenski, an Russian Estonian politician believes Drambjan was driven into his act by personal problems, not political motivations.
• Sergei Jürgens, leader of the United Left Party accuses Defence Minister Mart Laar of unjustly associating the actions of Drambjan with the United Left Party.

References

1. "На Министерство обороны напал Карэн Драмбян" (in Russian). 11.08.2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. ^ "Ansip ja Laar: tulistajal olid suured kavatsused" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
3. ^ Karen Drambjan 26.07.1954
4. ^ Erkki Sivonen (2011-08-11). "Defense Ministry Shooter Was Member of United Left". Estonian Public Broadcasting.
5. Jari Tanner (August 11, 2011). "Gunman killed in firefight with police after attack on Estonia's Defence Ministry". St. Albert Gazette. Associated Press.
6. ^ "Estonian defense ministry shooter confirmed member of United Left". xinhuanet. Xinhua. August 11, 2011.
7. ^ "Estonian gunman shot dead". The Australian. Agence France-Presse. August 12, 2011.
8. ^ Nataly Koppel (11 August 2011). "Kaitseministeeriumisse tungija oli Vasakpartei liige Karen Drambjan". Õhtuleht.
9. ^ "Tuttavad: äkilise loomuga Drambjan kaitses oma seisukohti vihaga". Postimees (in Estonian). 12.08.2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |athor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
10. "RIIGIKOHUS LOPETTI LARISSA NEŠTŠADIMOVA OSALTA VÄÄRTEOMENETLUSE". Supreme Court of Estonia. 15.01.2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. "Эстонская Фемида похожа на колхозницу с безменом". Izvestia (in Russian). 21 May 2008.
12. ^ Margarita Kornõševa (2011-08-11). "Drambjani lähedalt tundnud inimene: ta lasi end teistel tappa" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee.
13. "Karen Drambjani kinnisvara oli sundmüügis" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
14. ^ "Gunman killed after Estonian ministry shooting". Reuters. 2011-08-11.
15. Jungerstam-Mulders, Susanne (2006). Post-communist EU member states: parties and party systems. Ashgate Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9780754647126. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
16. "Explosion and shooting at Estonian Defense Ministry". RT. 11 August, 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. "Counterintelligence". Annual Review 2007 (PDF). Tallinn: Estonian Security Police. 2008. p. 8.
18. "Kaitseministeeriumi tulistaja oli Eestimaa Ühendatud Vasakpartei liige Karen Drambjan" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
19. "Быстров может уйти в отставку, а к власти в Маарду придут реформисты". DzD.ee (in Russian). 19.05.2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
20. "Kaitseministeeriumi hõivaja manifest: valitsus on valinud kodusõja tee" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-12.
21. "Драмбян: эстонское правительство уже выбрало гражданскую войну" (in Russian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-12.
22. Karen Drambjan. "Если дорог тебе твой дом..." slavia.ee (in Russian).
23. <Cite web |title=Who was the shooter in the defence ministry? |date=12.08.2011 |author=Toomas Hõbemäg |url=http://balticbusinessnews.com/article/2011/8/12/who-was-the-shooter-in-the-defence-ministry |work=Baltic Business News |publisher=Äripeav }}
24. "Prokuratuur: Drambjan võttis ajutiselt kaks inimest oma kontrolli alla" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
25. "Tulistaja lubas relvastamata inimesi mitte lasta" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
26. "Kaitseminister Mart Laar ei viibinud intsidendi ajal hoones" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
27. "Ansip ja Laar: tulistajal olid suured kavatsused" (in Estonian). Delfi.ee. 2011-08-11.
28. "Viron pääministeri panttivanki-iskusta: Idea ehkä Norjan tapahtumista". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 11.08.2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
29. "Klenski: Drambjan oli äkiline mees". Postimees (in Estonian). 11.08.2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |athor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
30. "Vasakpartei juht: Drambjani parteilise kuuluvuse rõhutamine on kohatu". Postimees (in Estonian). 2011-08-12.

• 2011 in Estonia
• 1954 births
• 2011 deaths
• People from Yerevan
• Armenian lawyers
• Estonian lawyers
• Armenian emigrants
• Estonian Armenians
• Deaths by firearm in Estonia
• Armenian politicians
• Estonian politicians