Armenia begins trial for Russian soldier in mass killing case
YEREVAN. Dec 18 (Interfax) - The first court hearing of a criminal case against Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, who was accused of killing a family of seven in the city of Gyumri, in northern Armenia, has begun at the 102nd Russian Military Base in Armenia.
Judge Arutyun Movsesian of the Shirak regional general jurisdiction court is overseeing the proceedings.
The Armenian Judicial Department told journalists earlier that the hearing was arranged on the Russian military base's territory for security reasons, and also to make the proceedings more efficient.
Seven members of the Avetisian family, including two small children, were slain in Gyumri on January 12, 2015.
Permyakov has been charged with the killing of two or more people with extreme atrocity, involving extortion and armed robbery, armed robbery through home invasion, and illegal border crossing.
Permyakov pled guilty.
The Russian military garrison court in Gyumri found Permyakov guilty of desertion, the stealing of a weapon, and illegal possession, on August 12, and sentenced him to 10 years in a maximum security penitentiary. This criminal case was separated from the one related to the killing in Gyumri.