RUSSIA’S TOP INVESTIGATOR SAYS GYUMRI MASSACRE TRIAL TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA
ITAR-TASS, Russia
January 20, 2015 Tuesday 03:13 PM GMT+4
YEREVAN January 20.
The trial into last week’s outrageous massacre in Armenian city of
Gyumri, to which Russian soldier Valery Permyakov has confessed, will
be held in Armenia, the head of Russia’s influential Investigative
Committee, Aleksander Bastrykin told Armenia’s leader on Tuesday
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s press service said Bastrykin
“expressed confidence that the public trial, which will be conducted
in Armenia, will prove that the sides strive for seeking the truth
and justice.”
The Russian and Armenian sides have “full understanding” on how
Russia’s authorities need to cooperate with Armenia’s law enforcers
to help the investigation, Bastrykin said.
These actions of Russia’s relevant authorities both at the Russian
military base in Armenia and in Russia are aimed at ensuring “a
comprehensive investigation into the killing and all the circumstances
of the criminal case to identify those guilty so that they will be
inevitably held accountable.”
According to preliminary investigation, on January 12 a soldier of the
Russian military base in Armenia identified as Private Valery Permyakov
without permission abandoned his post with arms and cartridges.
Later on, he broke into a private house in Gyumri, Armenia’s second
largest city, and shot dead a family of six, including a two-year
child, and wounded a six-month baby who later died in hospital.
Permyakov left his uniform and footwear with badges and his submachine
gun and munitions and fled the scene. He was arrested on the same day
by Russian border guards while trying to cross Armenia’s border to
Turkey and confessed to the crime. If convicted, the soldier faces
a life sentence or some 20 years in jail.
A wave of protests hit the country following the mass killing demanding
that Permyakov should face trial in Armenia.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Sargsyan in
a phone conversation he was confident that the investigation would
be held promptly and those responsible would be brought to justice.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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