NKR residents demand to give Permyakov out to Armenian justice

An initiative group of 177 residents of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has appealed to Russian authorities demanding to immediately give the Russian regular soldier Valery Permyakov, accused of the massacre in Gyumri, out to Armenian law enforcement bodies.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at night on January 12, in Gyumri, six members of the Avetisyan family were assassinated. The only survivor of the attack – the six-month-old Sergey Avetisyan – was hospitalized in critical condition and underwent his treatment in Yerevan. On January 19, the baby's condition has deteriorated and he died. A Russian regular soldier Valery Permyakov is arrested as a suspect of committing the massacre. On January 15, an action was held in the city demanding to give Permyakov out to the Armenian justice; it ended with riots and clashes with the police, as a result of which 14 people suffered.

The demand to give Permyakov out to the Armenian justice was posted on the social network Facebook on January 18; and today the initiative group has submitted it to the media of Armenia and the NKR.

"We demand from Russian authorities to immediately transfer the arrested Valery Permyakov to the competent authorities of Armenia, since in accordance with Article 4 of the ‘Agreement of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on jurisdiction and mutual legal assistance in cases related to the presence of the Russian military base in the territory of Armenia’, Permyakov should be tried under the laws of Armenia and in its territory," says the statement.

"All the Russian soldiers, guilty of the terrible tragedy, must suffer the most severe punishment," adds the statement.

Residents of the NKR have also stated that they also expect decisive action from the leadership of Armenia.

"Any manifestations of weakness and indecision are fraught with unpredictable domestic and foreign-policy consequences, since the sovereignty of Armenia, the honour and dignity of the Armenian people are at the stake,” the authors of the statement assert.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.