Epress.am News from Armenia
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office (HCAV) Head Artur Sakunts and human rights defender Arayik Zalyan, representatives of the father of Araks Avetisyan killed on January 12 in Gyumri, have applied to the Head of the RA National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan to initiate criminal proceedings against the actions of the Russian border guards, HCAV said in an official statement.
The human rights activists point out in their claim that the border guards of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained a then unknown person at 00:15 AM on January 13, 2015 while trying to cross the Armenian-Turkish border; however, they informed of the detention neither the NSS, nor the law enforcement agencies of Armenia.
“Later, when it was revealed that person was Valery Permyakov, a soldier of the 102nd Russian military base who was suspected of the murder of Avetisyan family 7 members in Gyumri, the Russian law enforcement agencies once again failed to inform the Armenian authorities. On the other hand, the RA National Security Service did not request relevant information from the Russian law enforcement, either.
On this basis, Artur Sakunts and Arayik Zalyan have presented a claim to the Head of the RA National Security Service on June 3, 2015 regarding the disclosure of the committed crime, initiation of a criminal case and prosecution of perpetrators,” the statement said.
The Russian border guards, according to the human rights organization, do not have the authority to arrest people; they are only allowed to detain those who try to illegally to cross the Armenian-Iranian or Armenian-Turkish border; then they have to transfer these people to the national security agencies of Armenia.
“Meanwhile, the officers of the Russian border troops violated the law, and, one could say, snatched Permyakov. On this basis, Artur Sakunts and Arayik Zalyan have presented another claim on June 3 to the RA Investigative Committee to initiate criminal proceedings against the officers of the 102nd Russian military base, officers of the Russian border troops, and corresponding representatives of the RA NSS,” HCAV said.