The traffic in downtown Moscow is stuck on this weekday afternoon, with thousands of cars crawling out of the city centre. But the stalled traffic, like so much else in Russia, is avoidable to those with enough influence or money.
Every few minutes a dark BMW or Mercedes slides effortlessly through the mess, with flashing blue lights signalling its VIP status and giving it access to a special traffic lane.
Sometimes the passenger in the back seat is a top government official, other times it's a businessman or a gangster. Insiders say the flashing blue light can be bought for a few thousand U.S. dollars, and comes with the added perk of not having to worry about traffic laws.
Against such a backdrop, few here expect Andrei Knyazev, to be punished. The 46-year-old former Russian diplomat is accused of killing Ottawa lawyer Catherine MacLean and injuring another woman last year while allegedly driving drunk.
Some Russians are surprised that the case against Mr. Knyazev, whose trial begins today after a one-month delay, is even going ahead.
"In Russia, this does not happen with big shots. Usually they find some reason to kill the investigation before the trial. There are two laws here, one for the VIPs and one for everybody else," Nikolai Ivanchenkov said.
Mr. Ivanchenkov makes his living driving foreigners around Moscow. Recently, one of his friends died in a high-speed collision with one of the blue-light cars, but no one was charged.
"The driver had non-official protection," he said. "He just makes a call to someone who knows someone who gets him off."
Impaired driving is a crime in Russia, but motorists say police aren't overly perturbed if they catch you with alcohol on your breath. A properly offered bribe can usually guarantee the officer will allow you to go on your way.
Mr. Knyazev's case has drawn little local publicity, except in the English-language press. Few Russians seem interested in a drunk-driving fatality that happened a year ago in Ottawa, especially when there are dozens in Moscow every month.
Still, Donald MacLean, brother of Ms. MacLean, and Philippe Doré, whose wife Catherine was severely injured in the accident, believe justice is about to be done.
Both men said yesterday that they feel the Russian authorities are taking the matter seriously and have built a strong case against Mr. Knyazev, who was first secretary at the Russian embassy in Ottawa.
Mr. MacLean and Mr. Doré flew to Moscow to represent the victims at the trial, at the behest of the Russian prosecutors, as did Constable Bill Murrell, lead investigator on the case for the Ottawa police.
One of Mr. Knayzev's lawyers, Andrei Pavlov, said the defendant will plead not guilty and will challenge the way the investigation was handled in Ottawa, although he would not elaborate on the planned defence.
Mr. MacLean and Mr. Doré said the opening of the trial will be a relief, bringing their families one step closer to closure.
"It will be an important milestone for us," Mr. Doré said. "For Catherine, especially, given that she has no memory of the tragedy and lost an extremely close friend."
Mr. Doré said his wife, who suffered severe head and leg injuries, has reached a plateau in her recovery. "She has very tough days. She's very weak . . . a lot of fatigue."
Mark MacKinnon