Epress.am News from Armenia
Last night, near the Shirak marz (province) prosecutor's building in Gyumri, Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) MP Martun Grigoryan stated that he visited the Russian military base with one of the protesters and saw the suspect in the massacre of six members of the Avetisyan family, Russian soldier Valery Permyakov. Recall, that one of the demands of the Gyumri protesters was for the authorities to provide evidence that Permyakov had not left Armenia.
MP Martun Grigoryan characterized Valery Permyakov to journalists saying, “He looks like a moron, how else can I describe him.” Grigoryan said that Permyakov was held in solitary confinement.
“We saw his face, he looked just like the photos they were spreading. It was for sure that jackass. We saw that bastard,” said Grigoryan.
The MP added that what happened in Gyumri was not desirable. He stressed that there were people taken into custody and a few police officers have been transferred to Yerevan for surgery.
Recall, last night, January 15, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Russian consulate in the Armenian city of Gyumri, demanding that the suspect in the killings of 6 members of a local family, Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, as well as the investigation of the case be handed over to the Armenian law enforcement bodies.
Riot police used batons and stun grenades to stop the protesters from closing on the consulate building. As a result of clashes between the protesters and the police forces, 10 people have been injured, another 12 have been detained.
The heavy skirmishes occurred after protesters attempted to garner guarantees from the Armenian Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan that Permyakov would be handed over to the Armenian authorities. After long discussions between the protesters and government and community representatives in front of the prosecutors office, Kostanyan assured that he would send a letter to the Russian Prosecutor General asking to hand over the murder suspect to the Armenian law enforcement bodies. Many protesters were disenchanted by the tardiness of the statement and a portion of the protesters decided to continue their protest near the Russian consulate.