Sergey Avetisyan buried in Gyumri

The six-month-old baby Sergey Avetisyan was buried today in the city of Gyumri.

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.

The funeral service for Sergey Avetisyan was held in the Saint Nshan Church in Gyumri; then, the coffin was taken to the Shirak cemetery, seven kilometres off the city.

The funeral procession was accompanied by the police, Vahan Tumasyan, the head of the NGO "Shirak Centre", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

After the funeral prayer, which was held by the priests under a specially set up shed, people surrounded the coffin and began laying flowers.

The funeral passed in absolute silence, although there were thousands of people in the cemetery; it was clear from the online broadcast of the First Armenian News Channel, which was followed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The priests held the farewell service; and people put hundreds of white roses, toys and the baby's portrait onto the grave; then, they lit candles placed side by side.

The burial was made near the graves of the baby's and other relatives assassinated in the attack.

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.

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