Armenia, Russia to form coordinating body in Gyumri massacre case

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian and Russian investigative agencies will form a coordinating body to boost the effectiveness of the probe into the massacre of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri, the spokesperson of the Investigative Committee of Armenia said.

As Sona Truzyan told PanARMENIAN.Net an agreement was reached between the Investigative Committees to cooperate on the case.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday, Jan 20 met with Russian Investigative Committee Director Alexander Bastrykin, who has arrived in Yerevan to coordinate the investigation into the criminal case against Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov charged with the killing of seven people in Gyumri, Interfax reports.

At the meeting, Bastrykin, reiterated that the Russian law enforcement agencies and their Armenian colleagues have complete understanding and a clear vision of the assistance that should be provided to the Armenian law enforcement agencies in this investigation. "The purpose of the actions conducted by the Russian authorities on the territory of the military base in Gyumri and on the territory of Russia consists in ensuring a comprehensive investigation into the motives of the killings and the circumstances of the case, finding the culprits and ensuring unavoidable punishment. Bastrykin said he is confident that a public trial of this case, which will take place in Armenia, will indicate the parties' wish to do justice," Armenian president's press service said.

Bastrykin arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of Agvan Ovsepyan, the head of the Armenian Investigative Committee, on Monday.

On January 15, protests broke out in Gyumri. Their participants demanded that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian justice system.