Russia's top investigator says Gyumri massacre trial to be held in Armenia

YEREVAN, January 20. /TASS/. 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. Read more