Interfax, Russia
Jan 20 2015

Gyumri tragedy needs to be fully investigated – president of Armenia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday met with Russian
Investigative Committee Director Alexander Bastrykin, who has arrived
in Yerevan to coordinate the investigation into the criminal case
against Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, who is charged in the
killing of seven people in Gyumri, Armenia.

“The president of Armenia said the tragedy that occurred in Gyumri on
January 12 needs to be investigated with unprecedented consistency.
The president said it is important that the cooperation established
between the Armenian and Russian law enforcement agencies in
connection with this investigation should effectively continue and the
process should be brought to its logical completion,’ the Armenian
presidential press service told Interfax.

Bastrykin, for his part, reiterated that the Russian law enforcement
agencies and their Armenian colleagues complete understanding and a
clear vision of the assistance that should be provided to the Armenian
law enforcement agencies in this investigation.

“The purpose of the actions conducted by the Russian authorities on
the territory of the military base in Gyumri and on the territory of
Russia consists in ensuring a comprehensive investigation into the
motives of the killings and the circumstances of the case, finding the
culprits and ensuring unavoidable punishment. Bastrykin said he is
confident that a public trial of this case, which will take place in
Armenia, will indicate the parties’ wish to do justice,” the
presidential press service said.

Bastrykin arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of Agvan Ovsepyan, the
head of the Armenian Investigative Committee, on Monday.

“Alexander Bastrykin has arrived in Yerevan to coordinate the work of
the military investigators who are investigating the criminal case
against Valery Permyakov,” Vladimir Markin, an official with the
Russian Investigative Committee, told Interfax.

According to earlier reports, a family of six, including a two-year
old child, were murdered in Gyumri, northern Armenia, on January 12.
The only survivor, six-month-old Sergei Avetisyan, was hospitalized
with a stab wound. He died on January 19.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman from Russia’s 102nd military base, who
is deployed in Gyumri, was detained shortly after the attack. He is
now on the territory of the military base. Criminal charges were
brought against him on January 14 based on the Russian and Armenian
Criminal Codes.

On January 15, protests broke out in Gyumri. Their participants
demanded that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian justice system.
Fourteen people, including five policemen, were hospitalized after
clashes between the demonstrators and police.

On January 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to again extend his condolences to the
victims’ relatives and all people of Armenia in regard of the tragedy
in Gyumri.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress