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The Moscow Times, Russia
Jan 19 2015
Russian Activists Ask Putin to Send Troops Into Armenia
By Anna Dolgov
Jan. 19 2015 12:20
Online activists have leapt to the defense of a Russian soldier who
has reportedly confessed to killing six members of an Armenian family,
calling on President Vladimir Putin to "send in the troops" to protect
all Russian-speakers in the Transcaucasian country.
The activists, commenting through their social media group
"Anti-Maidan -- Armenia," declared soldier Valery Permyakov to be
"under Russia's protection" and called for the use of force to combat
Armenians who want him to face trial in their country.
Of note, the group's name recalls the political protests on Kiev's
Maidan Square that led to the overthrow of Ukraine's Moscow-backed
administration last February. In the weeks that followed, Russia sent
its troops into Crimea -- ostensibly to protect Russian-speakers in the
region.
"Our president has clearly stated: We shall defend our compatriots
everywhere! In every place on the globe," the group wrote on its
VKontakte social network page. "And Valera [Permyakov] is no
exception."
Thousands of Armenian protesters took to the streets last week,
demanding that Russian authorities hand over Permyakov -- a soldier at
a military base in Gyumri who police say has confessed to killing six
people, including a two-year-old girl. A six-month-old boy was also
wounded in the attack, which took place last Monday, but he survived.
The "Anti-Maidan -- Armenia" group responded to last week's
demonstrations by calling the protesters "Nazis" -- the same term that
Moscow's politicians and state-run media had used to refer to the
opposition in Ukraine.
"Putin, send in the troops!" the group said on VKontakte. "All of the
Russian-speaking population in Armenia is now in danger!" The group
also proclaimed: "Russia is Permyakov, and Permyakov is Russia."
It was not immediately clear whether the group was created for
satirical purposes, but the posts drew outrage from opposition Russian
politician Boris Nemtsov.
"When the Anti-Maidan pro-Kremlin movement declares Permyakov ... to be
'a prisoner of conscience' what are they counting on?" Nemtsov said on
his Facebook page last week. "On the love of the Armenian people? Or
on seeing Russians cursed even by the citizens of Armenia who have so
far been friendly?"
Nemtsov also suggested that the group was aiming to incite a conflict,
while the "Kremlin is silently condoning them."
'Prisoner of Conscience'
Armenia, like Georgia and Ukraine, is among the former Soviet states
that had traditionally enjoyed close ties with Russia.
But in recent years, Russia has fought a war against Georgia over its
pro-Russian separatist regions, and annexed Crimea from Ukraine under
the guise of protecting the peninsula's Russian-speaking population.
The developments have soured Georgia's and Ukraine's relations with
Russia, and Armenian lawmakers said last week that the Gyumri killing
would likely spark debate about Russia's military presence in the
country.
According to a statement posted Sunday on the Kremlin website, Putin
has spoken with Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to express his
condolences and offer assurances that the "those responsible would
receive the punishment envisaged by law."
Yet there was no direct reference to Permyakov in the Kremlin's
statement, and there appears to be some disagreement on the legal
issues surrounding his possible handing over to Armenian authorities.
Nemtsov, the opposition politician, cited a 1997 agreement between
Moscow and Yerevan, which seems to indicate that Russian military
personnel charged with committing crimes in Armenia should be tried by
Armenian courts.
"In cases of crimes and other offenses committed on the territory of
the Republic of Armenia by individuals who are members of the Russian
military base and their families, the laws of the Republic of Armenia
are applied, and its competent organs will take action," the agreement
reads, according to the text posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry
website.
But the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office said last week that under
Russia's Constitution, Russian citizens detained by Russian
authorities on suspicion of having committed a crime cannot be handed
over to another country, the Interfax news agency reported.
Nemtsov argued that Armenian demonstrators demands -- that Russia
deliver on the international agreements it had signed -- were
"perfectly legal."
"But Permyakov has not been handed over, and [he has] even been
proclaimed 'a prisoner of conscience,'" he said. "And then we show
surprise that everybody around hates us."
The "prisoner of conscience" phrase appears to originate from an
earlier post on the "Anti-Maidan -- Armenia" group on VKontakte, which
used the term to describe the suspected killer, according to a
screen-grab posted by Nemtsov.
The group has since toned down its language, and now runs a different
caption under the same picture that reads: "Valery Permyakov: Killer
or victim?"
Yet it remains defiant in its attempts to blame the Armenian protests
on the U.S. while calling for Moscow to respond in order to maintain
its hold on the region.
"Accusing a Russian warrior profits only two forces -- the U.S. and
their subordinate Armenian opposition, which has already managed to
put forward demands to close the Russian military base," the group
said on its VKontakte page.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-activists-ask-putin-to-send-troops-into-armenia-/514546.html
Jan 19 2015
Russian Activists Ask Putin to Send Troops Into Armenia
By Anna Dolgov
Jan. 19 2015 12:20
Online activists have leapt to the defense of a Russian soldier who
has reportedly confessed to killing six members of an Armenian family,
calling on President Vladimir Putin to "send in the troops" to protect
all Russian-speakers in the Transcaucasian country.
The activists, commenting through their social media group
"Anti-Maidan -- Armenia," declared soldier Valery Permyakov to be
"under Russia's protection" and called for the use of force to combat
Armenians who want him to face trial in their country.
Of note, the group's name recalls the political protests on Kiev's
Maidan Square that led to the overthrow of Ukraine's Moscow-backed
administration last February. In the weeks that followed, Russia sent
its troops into Crimea -- ostensibly to protect Russian-speakers in the
region.
"Our president has clearly stated: We shall defend our compatriots
everywhere! In every place on the globe," the group wrote on its
VKontakte social network page. "And Valera [Permyakov] is no
exception."
Thousands of Armenian protesters took to the streets last week,
demanding that Russian authorities hand over Permyakov -- a soldier at
a military base in Gyumri who police say has confessed to killing six
people, including a two-year-old girl. A six-month-old boy was also
wounded in the attack, which took place last Monday, but he survived.
The "Anti-Maidan -- Armenia" group responded to last week's
demonstrations by calling the protesters "Nazis" -- the same term that
Moscow's politicians and state-run media had used to refer to the
opposition in Ukraine.
"Putin, send in the troops!" the group said on VKontakte. "All of the
Russian-speaking population in Armenia is now in danger!" The group
also proclaimed: "Russia is Permyakov, and Permyakov is Russia."
It was not immediately clear whether the group was created for
satirical purposes, but the posts drew outrage from opposition Russian
politician Boris Nemtsov.
"When the Anti-Maidan pro-Kremlin movement declares Permyakov ... to be
'a prisoner of conscience' what are they counting on?" Nemtsov said on
his Facebook page last week. "On the love of the Armenian people? Or
on seeing Russians cursed even by the citizens of Armenia who have so
far been friendly?"
Nemtsov also suggested that the group was aiming to incite a conflict,
while the "Kremlin is silently condoning them."
'Prisoner of Conscience'
Armenia, like Georgia and Ukraine, is among the former Soviet states
that had traditionally enjoyed close ties with Russia.
But in recent years, Russia has fought a war against Georgia over its
pro-Russian separatist regions, and annexed Crimea from Ukraine under
the guise of protecting the peninsula's Russian-speaking population.
The developments have soured Georgia's and Ukraine's relations with
Russia, and Armenian lawmakers said last week that the Gyumri killing
would likely spark debate about Russia's military presence in the
country.
According to a statement posted Sunday on the Kremlin website, Putin
has spoken with Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to express his
condolences and offer assurances that the "those responsible would
receive the punishment envisaged by law."
Yet there was no direct reference to Permyakov in the Kremlin's
statement, and there appears to be some disagreement on the legal
issues surrounding his possible handing over to Armenian authorities.
Nemtsov, the opposition politician, cited a 1997 agreement between
Moscow and Yerevan, which seems to indicate that Russian military
personnel charged with committing crimes in Armenia should be tried by
Armenian courts.
"In cases of crimes and other offenses committed on the territory of
the Republic of Armenia by individuals who are members of the Russian
military base and their families, the laws of the Republic of Armenia
are applied, and its competent organs will take action," the agreement
reads, according to the text posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry
website.
But the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office said last week that under
Russia's Constitution, Russian citizens detained by Russian
authorities on suspicion of having committed a crime cannot be handed
over to another country, the Interfax news agency reported.
Nemtsov argued that Armenian demonstrators demands -- that Russia
deliver on the international agreements it had signed -- were
"perfectly legal."
"But Permyakov has not been handed over, and [he has] even been
proclaimed 'a prisoner of conscience,'" he said. "And then we show
surprise that everybody around hates us."
The "prisoner of conscience" phrase appears to originate from an
earlier post on the "Anti-Maidan -- Armenia" group on VKontakte, which
used the term to describe the suspected killer, according to a
screen-grab posted by Nemtsov.
The group has since toned down its language, and now runs a different
caption under the same picture that reads: "Valery Permyakov: Killer
or victim?"
Yet it remains defiant in its attempts to blame the Armenian protests
on the U.S. while calling for Moscow to respond in order to maintain
its hold on the region.
"Accusing a Russian warrior profits only two forces -- the U.S. and
their subordinate Armenian opposition, which has already managed to
put forward demands to close the Russian military base," the group
said on its VKontakte page.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-activists-ask-putin-to-send-troops-into-armenia-/514546.html