Oppositionists, with open cynicism, are trying to squeeze maximum political dividends out of the tragedy in Gyumri; they divert public attention from facts to emotions. It is quite obvious that a monstrous provocation has occurred, the purpose of which is to agitate the Armenian society and turn it against Russia and its military personnel. It is noteworthy that the tragic event occurred immediately after Armenia’s official entry into the Eurasian Economic Union.
The tragedy in the Armenian city of Gyumri caused, as one would expect, a huge resonance in Armenia. Valery Permyakov, a native of the Chita region, on January 13, voluntarily left the 102nd Russian military base located in Gyumri, intending to hide on Turkish territory. “On the way” he committed a terrible crime, the motives of which are not yet clear: Permyakov shot the residents of Gyumri - six members of the Avetisyan family.
It is clear that so brutal crime(among those killed were two small children, and a six-month-old child was seriously wounded) agitated both the local population and the whole country. Mass protests took place - both in front of the military base, and at the Russian consulate in Gyumri, and at the presidential palace in Yerevan. The protesters demanded that the criminal be handed over to local law enforcement agencies and that he be tried in Armenia. “People took to the streets not against Russia - they simply demand justice and want answers to their questions,” emphasized Yuri Navoyan, president of the Russian-Armenian Commonwealth Association. Moscow has already stated that it is not going to cover up the criminal and will conduct investigative actions together with the Armenian side.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims and the entire Armenian people, and also expressed confidence that all necessary investigative actions will be carried out in the shortest possible time, and the perpetrators will be punished as provided by law. Putin also expressed hope that the Russian doctors who arrived in Gyumri, together with their Armenian colleagues, will provide highly qualified assistance to six-month-old Serezha Avetisyan, who survived this tragedy, assuring that, if necessary, a medical plane will be sent to Gyumri to deliver the child to Moscow for treatment.
A special commission headed by Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Arkady Bakhin urgently arrived in Gyumri. It is unknown what Permyakov’s punishment will be (and he committed two crimes at once - murder and unauthorized departure from the base with an attempt to cross the border), but it is clear that, in addition to him, those who allowed a possibly mentally unstable person to have weapons will also end up in the dock and allowed him to escape from the unit. “All those guilty, not only the criminal himself, but also those who in one way or another helped him indirectly - through inaction, negligence, or other official misconduct, will be punished,” said Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin.”
The tragedy in Gyumri is simply a gift to those political forces who want to play on the feelings of the people and use the tragedy for their own purposes. This is worth talking about in more detail, because the opposition, pro-Western forces, which have long opposed President Serzh Sargsyan’s course towards rapprochement with Russia, taking advantage of the situation, began active anti-Russian rhetoric in their media, demanding a radical change in foreign policy, the withdrawal of the 102nd base from the territory of Armenia . Meanwhile, this base provides local residents with many jobs in the service sector. Relations between the Russian military and local residents have always been very good, and even now, after everything that happened, the residents of Gyumri do not want the base to be liquidated. Nor do all those who understand that the Russian base on the border with Turkey, which paralyzes strategic NATO airfields on the territory of this country, want this, is one of the key points of defense of Armenia itself, a guarantee of its security, especially in light of the historically very difficult relations between Yerevan and Ankara. So, based on national interests, the Armenian leadership will never agree to withdraw the Russian military base, no matter how sophisticated Serzh Sargsyan’s political opponents are in demanding a reorientation of foreign policy to the West.
The pro-European part of Armenian society is extremely irritated by Armenia’s accession to the EAEU, and opponents of Eurasian integration, calling for rapprochement with the EU and NATO, are trying with open cynicism to squeeze the maximum political dividends out of the tragedy in Gyumri.
For example, the famous political scientist Vigen Hakobyan directly says that “the crime committed by a soldier of the 102nd base Valery Permyakov became the reason for real anti-Russian hysteria in Armenia, fanned online by the American radio station Liberty, a number of non-governmental organizations, as well as human rights activists, among whom USAID (US Agency for International Development) employee David Shahnaz is especially active. According to Hakobyan, public attention is purposefully diverted from facts to emotions. “The criminal was caught and placed in isolation. There is no reason to doubt that he will receive the severe punishment he deserves. There is still no complete clarity regarding the motives that guided him. The Armenian authorities are fully and fully involved in the investigation process. Today it is obvious to everyone that we have witnessed a monstrous provocation, the purpose of which is to agitate the Armenian society and turn it against Russia and its military personnel. It is noteworthy that the tragic event occurred immediately after the official entry of Armenia into the Eurasian Economic Union,” says Hakobyan. He is sure that the situation in Armenia is heating up, by external forces, and, moreover, by quite familiar methods - the spread of various provocative rumors and speculation, in particular, that Moscow is allegedly trying to hide the criminal, although it was the FSB border guards who detained him while trying to flee to Turkey.
The famous Russian expert, director of the Institute of Modern States, Alexey Martynov, shares the same opinion. “Of course, the events in Yerevan today are inspired from the outside. The Armenian opposition acts in the interests and at the direction of its sponsors from the US Embassy, which, together with the CIA, has launched large-scale activities on the territory of Armenia, trying to tear this country away from Russia. This activity of the American intelligence services in Armenia is largely is associated with the start of work of the EAEU on January 1. Despite the persuasion and admonitions of pro-Western politicians, Armenia nevertheless joined the Eurasian Economic Union, thereby confirming its course towards further integration with Russia, and this could not but embitter both the opponents of President Sargsyan and their Western patrons." .
The tragedy in Gyumri shocked and shocked the Armenian society, and the feelings of the Armenian people, who have experienced many troubles in their history (in April the country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the terrible Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire), are quite understandable. However, Russia has been the protector of the Armenian people for centuries and has stood guard over their interests. What looks even more vile and cynical is what the opposition is doing now (and, in essence, the “fifth column” of the West), which has decided to take advantage of the situation and influence the mass consciousness of people, traumatize it, manipulating the facts, juggling and distorting them, giving them the desired yourself meaning.
But everyone who is trying to quarrel between Armenia and Russia by playing the opportunely turned up “card” - the tragedy in Gyumri, must understand that it is unlikely that they will be able to destroy the traditionally good relations between the two countries, based on a common history and common interests. And the point is not only that our countries are strategic allies, bound by the CSTO partnership, the single Eurasian economic space, duty-free supplies of Russian energy resources (Armenia, deprived of its energy resources, annually receives from Russia approximately 100 thousand tons of petroleum products and about two billion cubic meters gas). Much more valuable than the material side is the moral side of cooperation - that spiritual community, that sincere age-old friendship that unites two peoples, friendship sealed by the blood shed on the fronts of many wars - from Napoleonic to Hitler's invasion. That is why the political leadership of Armenia, which called on its compatriots to be calm and self-controlled, is convinced that the terrible tragedy in Gyumri will not lead to a split between the two fraternal peoples, which the West apparently very much hopes for, will not darken their relations, will not break the close ties that they have been connected for centuries. This was stated recently by the Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, representative of the ruling Republican Party Eduard Sharmazanov.
YEREVAN, December 16 – News-Armenia. Almost a year has passed since that most monstrous crime, which not only shocked the whole of Armenia, but almost put an end to Russian-Armenian relations in principle. In order not to be unfounded, let me remind you of the chronology of those days.
A year ago, on January 12, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian base, stationed in the second largest city of Armenia (Gyumri), arbitrarily left his unit with weapons and shot the residents of Gyumri - the Avetisyan family. Five adults and a two-year-old child were killed in their own home, and a week later a six-month-old baby died in the hospital, whom Permyakov dealt several blows with a bayonet in the cradle. Almost all security forces of Armenia and the Russian military were alerted, Permyakov was detained on the Armenian-Turkish border, after which he was taken to the garrison prison of the Russian base.
The city of Gyumri, shocked by the crime, simply rebelled, a crowd of angry people headed to the military base demanding the extradition of Permyakov. For the Armenian mentality, the most serious crime is an attack on the lives of children and family. The protesters were furious.
At the cost of incredible efforts, the Prosecutor General of Armenia and the leadership of the Russian military base managed to calm people down and reduce the intensity of indignation. This was successful, first of all, because firm guarantees were received that Permyakov would be CONVICTED and PUNISHED by the Armenian court. Here is the official information that filled the headlines of the Russian and Armenian media.
After almost a year, it is already possible to draw initial conclusions about the causes and consequences and analyze the logic of the actions of the authorities of both Armenia and Russia.
Causes
It is paradoxical that the reasons that prompted the nonhuman Permyakov to commit this crime have not yet been voiced. Information was constantly being thrown in, ranging from the “sinister conspiracy of the enemies of Armenia and Russia” to Permyakov’s mental state. Each version has never been completely refuted or confirmed, which means law enforcement agencies Armenia and Russia are allowed different variants, which prompted Permyakov to commit this incomprehensible and apologetic (at first glance) crime.
There is a common expression: “If you want to understand who is behind a crime, find out who benefits from it.” We are far from suggesting that Permyakov was SPECIALLY prepared and set against the Avetisyan family, however, a lot of inconsistencies (starting from Permyakov’s route of movement, ending with the epic with the detention on the Armenian-Turkish border) do not give an adequate and understandable picture for us. Moreover, subsequent protests were immediately picked up by forces that have a vested interest in discrediting Armenian-Russian relations.
Almost all the media that adhere to neoliberal views simply went crazy with anti-Russian rhetoric, accusing, no...not Permyakov, but almost the entire Russian leadership, which “specially sends psychos to Armenia to intimidate us.” The idiocy and absurdity of these statements and postulates is obvious today, but in those days it was precisely such incitements that added fuel to the fire of people’s just indignation.
Thank God, the people of Gyumri had the patience not to succumb to the provocations of various pseudo-patriots (and, in fact, vile provocateurs).
Actions and position of Armenia
Immediately after Permyakov’s arrest, the Armenian authorities voiced their principled position on holding a trial of the suspect on the territory of Armenia, in accordance with Armenian laws. The logic of such a requirement is simple - let's try to leave aside the emotional background and turn to the facts.
First: Permyakov committed a crime against Citizens of the Republic of Armenia outside the territory of the Russian base and, according to generally accepted international practice, diplomatic immunity does not apply to him.
Second: since the crime was committed on the territory of Armenia, then, naturally, the entire procedural and legal process must (again, according to international canons) take place on the territory of the Republic of Armenia. And, as a result, Permyakov MUST serve his sentence on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
This was precisely the “compromise” that the Armenian side made during negotiations with the Russian side. In parallel with the legal procedures, the leadership of Armenia, represented by top officials (from the President to the Prosecutor General), has repeatedly confirmed the immutability of the Armenian position - Permyakov must be convicted by Armenia and serve his sentence in Armenia.
By agreement with the Russian authorities, this topic will be updated immediately after the end of the trial of Permyakov (we are, of course, talking about the Armenian court).
Reaction and position of the Russian side
It is necessary to dwell on the actions of the Russian side in more detail, taking into account the mental perception of Russia by Armenians as a fraternal country.
Let us immediately make a reservation that this tragedy, or rather, Russia’s initial reaction to the tragedy, most clearly showed fundamental problems in the information policy of the Russian Federation in the countries of the former USSR. And also the slowness and unsystematic nature of the information presence and coverage of the tragedy on the part of Russian government agencies, which seemed to be responsible for relations along the Russia-Armenia line. We do not mean the Russian Embassy in Armenia and structures affiliated with the embassy; So they reacted quite quickly.
The lack of a clear Russian information policy in Armenia, the Russian political information establishment’s reliance on the false postulate that “Armenians are not going anywhere,” played an important role in the growth of violent protest of people after Permyakov’s crime.
Judge for yourself, witnesses of those days remember that the indignation of the ordinary Armenian man in the street was caused not only by the fact of the crime itself, but by the lack of reaction in the Russian media and the silence in the information space in general.
In those days when Armenia was shaken by protest rallies, Russian TV channels did not even say a word about the tragedy, which played an important role in the subsequent radicalization of the protests.
In general, the topic of the presence, or rather absence, of a clear and mutually beneficial information policy of Russia in Armenia is the topic of a separate analysis, to which we will definitely return in subsequent articles.
The process of an adequate response from the Russian side to the “Gyumri tragedy” was launched only after the intervention of top officials of the states. Namely, only after President Putin contacted President Sargsyan and expressed his indignation at the tragedy that had occurred and assured that the Russian side would cooperate closely in the investigation, as well as the irreversibility of punishment for the criminal who committed this atrocity, did the “thing” move? places.
Immediately after the conversation between Putin and Sargsyan, numerous delegations of Russian Armenians (Artur Chilingarov, Karen Shakhnazarov, etc.), and high-level Russian officials were urgently delegated to Yerevan and Gyumri (for example, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, immediately flew in). Delegations immediately went to Gyumri, emergency interviews and press conferences were given in Yerevan, in which Russia’s position on the irreversibility of punishment for the criminal was voiced.
Russian TV finally suddenly saw the light and began to provide materials about the tragedy in Gyumri. In a word, as is customary, unfortunately, among the Russian bureaucracy, the situation had to be rectified in an emergency mode, although that prevented it from being done a few days earlier and not bringing the situation to a critical level.
In July, the Russian side transferred the court materials to the Investigative Committee of Armenia for the subsequent trial of Permyakov, according to Armenian law, and in August, the Russian military garrison court sentenced Permyakov (as a Russian serviceman) to ten years for desertion and theft of weapons.
However, by agreement of the parties, only the Armenian court has the authority to put an end to this case, and Permyakov will also most likely serve his sentence in Armenia.
Let us remind you that the first court hearing in the case of the murder of the Avetisyan family, in which Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov is accused, will take place on December 18. –0--
Arman Abovyan, political commentator, specially for Novosti-Armenia
I dedicate this post in memory of the Avetisyan family, brutally murdered in Gyumri, as well as to all those innocently killed, regardless of nationality and religion.
Tragedy broke my heart,
Having finished the holidays,
Like a dream we will remember
January, Armenia, Gyumri.
Viktor Alexandrov ("Condolence").
Russian conscript Valery Permyakov, who served at a military base in the Armenian city of Gyumri, shot an Armenian family of six in cold blood. Including a two year old child. Then he bayoneted a six-month-old baby, who is now in the hospital. The killer's name is Valery Permyakov. He was caught trying to cross the Turkish border. Permyakov confessed. He is currently being held on the territory of a military base.
People are outraged: in Yerevan, Gyumri and other cities of Armenia there are actions and rallies on this fact, usually with anti-Russian slogans, there is an active discussion of this tragedy in in social networks... A memorial service was held in Stepanakert...
Participants in the protest taking place near the Russian Embassy in Armenia demand the withdrawal of the Russian military base from the territory of the country and the recall of the Russian Ambassador to Armenia.
Numerous versions of what happened appear in the information space - from a domestic incident to mental insanity. I do not comment on these versions and do not put forward my own, although there are many open questions to which the law enforcement agencies of Armenia and the Russian Federation will give an objective assessment of this crime. Although, for me a different picture of what happened emerges, which is why I say that there are many open questions and I will wait for the end of the investigation.
The fact that the alleged killer was a Russian serviceman makes everything even more dramatic, especially in the context of Armenia's recent accession to the Eurasian Economic Union. It is worth recalling that in 1999, at the same base, two Russian soldiers opened fire at a local market, killing two and wounding, according to various sources, from 9 to 13 people.
Nowadays they write a lot: who will conduct the investigation, according to the laws of which country, where the criminal will serve his sentence, how this event can affect relations between Armenia and Russia, etc. You often read various “forecasts”, opinions, etc. and see that for these “experts” the main thing is not the Person, the deceased family fades into the background for them...
I am writing this post to honor the memory of dead family, here are their names: head of the family Seryozha Avetisyan, his wife Hasmik Avetisyan, their daughter Aida, son Armen, daughter-in-law Araksia Poghosyan, two years old Hasmik.
Six months old Seryozha the criminal stabbed him several times with a bayonet. The baby miraculously survived and is now in serious condition in the hospital.
This brutal murder in the Armenian city of Gyumri shocked Armenia and all people for whom the pain of others does not exist, regardless of where they live.
Here is a condolence poem written by Viktor Alexandrov from Russia:
"Condolences."
I woke up early in the winter morning,
The light of the sun had barely dawned,
Bad night, bad thoughts
I smoked a pack of cigarettes.
My eyes didn't sleep at all,
There is an aching pain in my heart,
Tears flowed down my cheek,
And the spasms echoed again.
Came to morning service
I looked at the glare of the sun,
The soul did not find peace,
The faces of the saints looked down from the icons.
Tragedy broke my heart,
Having finished the holidays,
Like a dream we will remember
January, Armenia, Gyumri.
And looking, with longing, at the sky,
In the fog of the morning,
I could only say three words:
"Forgive me, Armenia."
Six lives, six broken destinies,
Such a blow is incurable,
I won't curse the killer
Let's just be quiet.
Let us remember the dead with prayer,
Their souls began the route,
Six angels, to the gates of heaven,
They go home to the Creator.
And mourning will be on the clothes,
Let us bow our heads,
We will remember this forever...
January, Armenia, Gyumri.
Krasnoyarsk 01/13/2015
May this never happen no one has will not be repeated...
Avetisyan family. Photo taken from the Internet.
On Monday, six-month-old Serezha Avetisyan died in the hospital. The only survivor of an attack by a junior sergeant of the 102nd Russian military base on an Armenian family in Gyumri. There were seven victims of the monstrous crime. Meanwhile, facts are being revealed that cast doubt on the fact that 18-year-old Valery Permyakov committed the mass murder independently and spontaneously. Many argue: this looks like a well-planned provocation, the purpose of which is to drive a wedge into Russian-Armenian relations. A special correspondent for “Culture” visited the scene of the tragedy.
The Americans were the first to report
The dead were discovered by a relative of the Avetisyan family. On the morning of January 12, she went into their house on Myasnikyan Street and was speechless with horror. Five adult family members and a two-year-old girl lay dead in their beds, and only the youngest, six-month-old Seryozha, although he was covered in blood, showed weak signs of life. The woman immediately called the police. Law enforcement officers established that the family was shot with a machine gun, and the girl was stabbed to death with a bayonet. Apparently, they also struck the baby. The machine gun was lying right there on the floor. Army boots with the inscription: “Permyakov” were found in the corridor.
It’s surprising that less than an hour after the police arrived, when rumors about the crime had not yet spread throughout the city, the American newspaper The Washington Post spoke in detail about the incident, Armenian political scientist Sergei Shakaryants tells Culture. - Moreover, revealing the name and nationality of the suspect, although at that time he had not yet been detained.
And Radio Liberty, broadcasting in Armenia, began to fan real anti-Russian hysteria.
Less than a day has passed since the escaped junior sergeant Valery Permyakov was detained by Russian border guards on the border with Turkey. On the same day, a rally was held at the Russian consulate in Gyumri. The crowd demanded that the leadership of the 102nd Russian military base, where Permyakov served, be held accountable. There were also calls to remove the base forever. The way the action was organized, how well the protesters attacked the police officers guarding the Russian diplomatic mission, suggests that the action was not at all spontaneous.
The crowd in Gyumri suspiciously quickly came into contact with the protest movement of the republic, dissatisfied with the fact that Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union, although there is no reason for putting forward political slogans in the tragedy, an expert on the problems of the countries of the Middle East and the Caucasus, political scientist Stanislav Tarasov told Culture . - Immediately, forces appeared that tried to use this crime to whip up anti-Russian sentiments. It feels like they were acting according to a pre-planned plan.
“I didn’t understand why I did it”
Lawyer Tamara Ayloyan, who was assigned by the Bar Association of Armenia to defend the suspect, told Culture about the testimony Permyakov gave immediately after his arrest. However, after participating in the interrogation on the morning of January 13, she refused to defend herself on ethical grounds.
Outwardly, he gave the impression of a completely sane and adequate person,” the lawyer recalls. - He looked rather tired, his eyes were red, his face was drawn. He spoke quietly, slowly. He answered questions reluctantly and took long pauses. He practically didn’t deny it. When asked why he shot an innocent family, he replied: “it happened,” “by accident.” He didn't know any of them before.
According to the defendant's testimony, at three o'clock in the morning he left his post and went to the city - in uniform and with weapons. I just wanted to take a walk and then take up my post again at six o’clock in the morning.
Permyakov, as he said, was wandering aimlessly, and suddenly saw that in one of the courtyards the gate was slightly open, says Ayloyan. - I came in. Why - he cannot explain. He walked up to the door of the house and knocked. Nobody opened it. Then he broke out a window, climbed into the house and began firing from a machine gun at the sleeping owners. When I fired the clip, I noticed the children. - Here the voice of the defender trembled. - He took out a bayonet and stabbed the girl. Then he stabbed the six-month-old boy with a bayonet. “But for what?!” - the investigator asked him. Permyakov shrugged: “I can’t explain.” “Do you even regret what you did?” - asked the investigator. “Yes, of course, I regret it,” he replied.
Having dealt with his family, the soldier (again, according to him, without understanding for what purpose) took off his army boots and put on the shoes of his owners. Then, leaving the machine gun in the house and taking the appropriate clothes of the owners, he left.
The investigator was unable to find out where he changed his clothes, says Ayloyan. “I couldn’t even explain why I headed towards the Turkish border.” To most of the questions he answered the same thing: “I didn’t understand why I did it.”
This case is reminiscent of the shooting of supermarket customers by police major Denis Evsyukov in Moscow. There were nine victims then, three of them died. However, there are also differences. Evsyukov was drunk, did not remember anything and came to his senses only after his hands were tied. But Permyakov remembers a lot, he was, according to the lawyer, sober and after his arrest he immediately admitted to what he had done, clarifying, however, that it happened by accident.
Probably, the investigation has reasons not to fully trust his confessions. He may have left out some details.
There is a witness, a taxi driver, who claims that he brought the guy to Myasnikyan Street twice,” a source from the Armenian special services, familiar with some of the circumstances of the case, shared with me. - The first time at four in the morning, the second at six. Both times Permyakov was in civilian clothes. The taxi driver did not see any machine gun on him. He doesn’t even remember the passenger having a bag in which to hide a weapon. Permyakov himself claims that he did not part with the machine gun until six in the morning. Only after he shot the family, he threw him on the floor, changed his shoes, changed his clothes somewhere and headed towards the Turkish border.
Turkish trace
In fact, soldiers of the 102nd Russian military base in army uniforms do not appear in the city. By the way, the base is located in two places. The central one is a few kilometers from Gyumri, it resembles a fortress. Valery Permyakov is now in custody there. And one more place of deployment - in the area of the 8th town, where he served. If Russian military personnel appear in the city, it is only in civilian clothes.
I also saw places through which soldiers could run AWOL. There is only one checkpoint in the unit, surrounded by a concrete fence and barbed wire. However, I managed to find at least three loopholes through which, as it seemed to me, it would be possible to get out - on the back side of the fence, on the side, where there are impressive holes in the fence bordering the five-story residential buildings, and plastic bags hang on the barbed wire , which you can grab onto so as not to injure your hands, and nearby, on the corner - there is no barbed wire, and at the level of the fence, on the outside of the part, there are gas pipes There was also a stool to make it easier to get out. These places seem designed for AWOL.
Soldiers who go into the city are immediately visible, even though they are in civilian clothes,” says local resident Georges Avekyan. - But they behave quietly, there have never been conflicts with them.
For someone to appear with a weapon - none of my many interlocutors could remember this. Interestingly, some of the neighbors of the victims told me that they had seen “this guy” on their street before. He was in civilian clothes, and perhaps he was visiting someone he knew. To whom exactly, it has not yet been possible to find out.
One more detail. The Avetisyan house is not the only one located outside the gates into which Permyakov entered. Moreover, it is located deep in the yard and cannot be seen from the street.
The psychological factor also attracts attention, the source continues. - An 18-year-old young man, who had never killed before, coldly shoots five adults and bayonets two children. Only a professional can do this. An amateur would vomit inside out after the first sight of blood. And the new recruit calmly changes his shoes and rummages through the closets in search of clothes.
One more thing: no one saw the Russian serviceman at the crime scene.
It’s very strange that he left army boots with his last name in the house,” says the source. - Maybe someone else brought them to point him specifically. Why did Permyakov head towards the Turkish border? If he really wanted to hide, then it would have been more logical to go to the border with Georgia - yes, it is further away, but it is almost unguarded, everyone at the military base knows this. It can be assumed that they were waiting for him in Turkey. Or they said they would wait. There is a version that he wanted to be captured in Turkey. As a result, the incident would have jeopardized Armenian-Russian relations and driven a wedge between Russia and Turkey. But Türkiye intends to become Russia’s strategic partner in gas transit.
And no Russophobia
When I arrived in Gyumri on Saturday, January 17, there were no longer any protests. I walked through the entire city, but did not meet a single sideways glance. Meanwhile, there were a lot of people on the streets, it was market day, and the weather was sunny like spring. I didn’t see any demonstrators demanding to “drive out the Russians.” On the contrary, local residents willingly helped me find my way in an unfamiliar city, and some even accompanied me to the place I needed so that I wouldn’t get lost.
In front of the administration, several groups of men discussed the tragedy. I approached and entered into a conversation. They reasoned that criminals are everywhere, and it doesn’t depend on nationality. They also said that everything was too strange and implausible.
A team of Georgian television crews was working nearby.
Do you think that after this incident the question of withdrawing the Russian base from your territory should be raised? - the correspondent asked in Russian.
“Yes, perhaps this question needs to be asked,” some answered hesitantly.
But many turned their heads negatively.
In no case! - they said. - This base protects us from the Turks, who committed the Armenian genocide a hundred years ago. And the whole world recognized this fact, except the Turks themselves. Most residents of Gyumri agree that this tragedy, even if it turns out that it was Permyakov who committed the crime, himself and without anyone’s instigation, is not a reason to turn away from Russia. And if it turns out that he is a victim of someone’s subtle provocation - even more so.
Revenge for the alliance
In Yerevan I met with former leader foreign intelligence of the KGB of Armenia, and now the chairman of the Committee of War Veterans and the Armed Forces of the Republic, Petros Petrosyan. His opinion about the bloody incident is clear: a well-planned provocation, the purpose of which is to turn Armenia against Russia.
Please note that the crime occurred immediately after our republic joined the EAEU, says Petrosyan. - By the way, the shooting of journalists in France is a link in the same chain. Did you notice that this happened immediately after the French president announced the possibility of lifting sanctions against Russia? It's the same here. Look,” the scout led me to the map, “here is Armenia.” On the one hand, Turkey is a member of NATO, on the other, Georgia is also practically a member of this bloc. Our republic is the last Russian checkpoint in the Caucasus. NATO is expanding its borders and trying to drive a wedge between Armenia and Russia. What happened in Gyumri is one of these wedges.
An experienced intelligence officer does not rule out that the Russian serviceman was zombified.
Previously, the special services had zombie methods at their disposal to commit mass murders, but today there are even more possibilities,” he says.
This can be hypnosis - either through direct contact or acting at a distance. There are also a lot technical means to suppress personality: injections with special drugs, ultrasound treatment, etc.
Noteworthy is the fact that Valery’s father Pavel Permyakov in the city of Baley in the Trans-Baikal Territory, from where the murder suspect was called, is the pastor of the local branch of the Russian Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith “Faith, Hope, Love.” This organization is one of the branches of Pentecostalism, a Protestant faith that originated in the United States. The brain, spiritual and financial center of the movement is still located there.
Those who prepared this provocation know well how to capture the emotions of Armenians and have calculated the reaction in advance,” says Petrosyan. - It is no coincidence that a bayonet was used to kill children. In Transcaucasia, blades have sacred meaning.
Also, according to the interlocutor, the demands to hand over the suspect to the crowd or to transfer him to an Armenian prison were by no means accidental. It's clear how this could end. Apparently, someone really wants Permyakov not to live to see the trial, which means that the truth is not revealed.
But I think the investigation will sort this out,” Petrosyan hopes. - And psychiatrists will give an opinion on what happened to the soldier’s mind. And now I want to say one thing: no one will ever be able to set the Armenian people at odds with the Russian people.
