Human rights activists: Law enforcement officers provoked clashes in Gyumri
Law enforcement officers yesterday provoked and angered protesters who were holding solidarity rallies in Armenia, says Artak Zeynalyan, Chairman of the Rule of Law NGO. “The brutal murder of six people that occurred in Gyumri on January 12 has shocked people,” said Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkanyan, who was detained on Thursday evening during the clashes between the protesters and riot police in Gyumri. “Residents of Gyumri doubt that Valery Permyakov, who is being kept at the local Russian military base, will ever stand trial for the murder of the Avetisyan family. The tragedy questionsArmenia’s sovereignty and judicial system.” He said. A series of protests took place in Gyumri and Yerevan on January 15, with protesters demanding to hand over tRussian serviceman Valery Permyakov, who is charged with murdering Avetisyan famil in Gyumri to Armenian law-enforcement authorities. Many in Armenia think this is a test for the sovereignty of Armenia, which has recently joined the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, 19, who was serving at Russian Military base N 102 in Gyumri, was detained by Russian border guards on Monday after alleging killing six members of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri and wounding a six-month-old infant on the same day. The Avetisyans – two grandparents, their son and daughter, a daughter-in-law, and young Hamsik – were found killed, when a relative-neighbor came to the house for morning coffee. The six-month-old infant, the only survivor of the brutal murder, was hospitalized with severe stab wounds in his chest. Permyakov reportedly confessed to the mass murder. He is now kept under arrest at the Russian military base in Gyumri and has been charged with murder and desertion.
