Accused Valery Permyakov being interrogated by Armenian investigators in the presence of a lawyer and translator.
Armenian investigators have interrogated and taken samples from Valery Permyakov, the Russian soldier accused in the murder of the Avetisyan family. The genetic and forensic samples will be compared with those taken from the crime scene.
The press office of the Investigative Committee of Armenia said that Permyakov was interrogated in the presence of a lawyer and a translator, and the interrogation, as required by Armenian law, was video taped. The statement by the committee said, “The necessary investigative and forensic procedures are being initiated to verify the testimony given by the accused.”
A video of the interrogation of the accused Permyakov was released by the Investigative Committee. In the video, the faces of the lawyer and translator have been blurred to ensure their safety.
On January 12, Russian soldier Valery Permyakov stationed at the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri deserted his post at approximately 4:00 A.M. He entered the Avetisyan family residence, about 3 kilometers from the base and shot six members of the family, and stabbed six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan. The infant survived but later died in hospital from his wounds. Permyakov was apprehended trying to cross the Armenia-Turkey state border by Russian military personnel. He is currently being held at the Russian base under Russian jurisdiction.
