Armenia: relatives of Avetisyan family ask police to ensure their safety

Relatives of the Avetisyan family, which was massacred in the Armenian city of Gyumri at night on January 12, have appealed to law enforcement bodies asking to ensure their safety.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the massacre in Gyumri sparked a wave of protests, after an official from the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Armenia said that the suspect would not be given out to Armenian law enforcement bodies, since he is a citizen of Russia. Activists in Gyumri are collecting signatures to the demand to give Valery Permyakov out to law enforcement bodies of Armenia.

As argued by relatives of the Avetisyan family, they need a lawyer, psychological assistance and guarantees of security.

In its turn, the Bar Association of Armenia has expressed its readiness to provide legal assistance to the successor of the Avetisyan family, said a Bar representative.

Meanwhile, Unan Pogosyan, the deputy chief of the Armenian Police, said that he had met the accused Valery Permyakov. "The extradition issue lies in the plane of the inter-state agreement," said Pogosyan.

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation, who visited Armenia on January 19, promised that the consideration of the case would be held in Armenia and will be public. The inquiry is run by the Military Court of Russia.

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