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RUSSIA, ARMENIA CONTINUE WRANGLING OVER SOLDIER ACCUSED OF MASS MURDER
EurasiaNet.org
Feb 5 2015
February 5, 2015 - 2:32pm, by Joshua Kucera
Armenia's chief prosecutor has formally asked his Russian counterpart
to hand over a Russian soldier accused of killing seven members of
a family outside Russia's military base in Armenia. The request was
made just after the two sides apparently had agreed to try the soldier
in a Russian military court at the base.
The Russian soldier, Valery Permyakov, is accused of killing seven
members of the Avetsiyan family just after deserting his guard
post at the 102nd military base in Gyumri, Armenia's second city,
on January 12. Shortly afterwards the Armenian authorities announced
that Permyakov would be tried under the Russian justice system, in
spite of the fact that the base agreement seems to suggest he should
be tried under Armenian jurisdiction. That sparked unprecedented
protests in Gyumri and Yerevan by Armenians unhappy about how the
case was being handled.
More than three weeks later, the back-and-forth jockeying between
Russia and Armenia over the case continues, indicating that it remains
the subject of delicate negotiations, with serious implications for
Armenia's government stability and Armenia-Russia relations.
"The situation in Armenia remains fluid. Mishandling of the Gyumri
murders may lead to a political crisis in Yerevan and a major
government shake-up. Russia's military presence in Armenia has yet to
be challenged by any major local political force," wrote analyst Emil
Sanamyan in Jane's Defence Weekly. "However, unless leaders on both
sides act swiftly to rebuild trust - in particular by holding an open
trial and punishing officers responsible for the suspect's desertion
- the case will cast a chill on relations and could contribute to
Armenia's realignment away from Putin's Russia."
One possible sign of Yerevan's displeasure with Moscow was Armenia's
abstention from a vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe on stripping Russia of its voting rights in the group. Russian
commentator Gevorg Mirzayan noted pointedly that Azerbaijan and Turkey
both supported Russia on that vote. Mirzayan concludes with a veiled
threat: "That can bring about a predictable irritation in Moscow and
the sympathies of the Russian leadership in the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict can more and more lean towards Baku. Which, in contrast to
Yerevan, doesn't claim a role of a fundamental vector of Russian
foreign policy, but wants to get concrete support from Moscow on
concrete regional issues."
Armenian commentator Naira Airumyan notes that Russian President
Vladimir Putin has not yet announced where he'll be on April 24, the
day that Armenia will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide, while Turkey will hold a competing event commemorating the
Battle of Gallipoli.
All this, of course, while the situation in the contested territory
of Nagorno Karabakh grows more tense than it has been since a cease
fire was signed 20 years ago. As Azerbaijan's military might grows,
fueled by big oil and gas revenues, Armenia becomes more and more
reliant on Russian assistance in the case war breaks out again.
Asked about Armenia's request to hand over Permyakov, the office of
Russia's chief prosecutor declined to comment.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71941
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
EurasiaNet.org
Feb 5 2015
February 5, 2015 - 2:32pm, by Joshua Kucera
Armenia's chief prosecutor has formally asked his Russian counterpart
to hand over a Russian soldier accused of killing seven members of
a family outside Russia's military base in Armenia. The request was
made just after the two sides apparently had agreed to try the soldier
in a Russian military court at the base.
The Russian soldier, Valery Permyakov, is accused of killing seven
members of the Avetsiyan family just after deserting his guard
post at the 102nd military base in Gyumri, Armenia's second city,
on January 12. Shortly afterwards the Armenian authorities announced
that Permyakov would be tried under the Russian justice system, in
spite of the fact that the base agreement seems to suggest he should
be tried under Armenian jurisdiction. That sparked unprecedented
protests in Gyumri and Yerevan by Armenians unhappy about how the
case was being handled.
More than three weeks later, the back-and-forth jockeying between
Russia and Armenia over the case continues, indicating that it remains
the subject of delicate negotiations, with serious implications for
Armenia's government stability and Armenia-Russia relations.
"The situation in Armenia remains fluid. Mishandling of the Gyumri
murders may lead to a political crisis in Yerevan and a major
government shake-up. Russia's military presence in Armenia has yet to
be challenged by any major local political force," wrote analyst Emil
Sanamyan in Jane's Defence Weekly. "However, unless leaders on both
sides act swiftly to rebuild trust - in particular by holding an open
trial and punishing officers responsible for the suspect's desertion
- the case will cast a chill on relations and could contribute to
Armenia's realignment away from Putin's Russia."
One possible sign of Yerevan's displeasure with Moscow was Armenia's
abstention from a vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe on stripping Russia of its voting rights in the group. Russian
commentator Gevorg Mirzayan noted pointedly that Azerbaijan and Turkey
both supported Russia on that vote. Mirzayan concludes with a veiled
threat: "That can bring about a predictable irritation in Moscow and
the sympathies of the Russian leadership in the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict can more and more lean towards Baku. Which, in contrast to
Yerevan, doesn't claim a role of a fundamental vector of Russian
foreign policy, but wants to get concrete support from Moscow on
concrete regional issues."
Armenian commentator Naira Airumyan notes that Russian President
Vladimir Putin has not yet announced where he'll be on April 24, the
day that Armenia will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide, while Turkey will hold a competing event commemorating the
Battle of Gallipoli.
All this, of course, while the situation in the contested territory
of Nagorno Karabakh grows more tense than it has been since a cease
fire was signed 20 years ago. As Azerbaijan's military might grows,
fueled by big oil and gas revenues, Armenia becomes more and more
reliant on Russian assistance in the case war breaks out again.
Asked about Armenia's request to hand over Permyakov, the office of
Russia's chief prosecutor declined to comment.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71941
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress