Relatives of the murdered Avetisyan family of Gyumri city in Armenia’s Shirak Province demand that the court hearings of the case into this murder be held in normal conditions. 

They assembled at the central square of the city on Saturday, and with this very demand.  

“We decided to attend the court sessions regardless of where they are taking place,” the slain family’s relative, Rita Petrosyan, told reporters. “[But] let them ensure normal conditions for us.”

Representatives of the victims’ legal successors have joined the respective demonstration at the square.

The police are patrolling the area.

After the first hearing that was held at the small hall of the 102nd Russian Military Base in the city,  the attorneys had said the hall conditions were “inhuman.”

This hall has a very limited space for the victims’ legal successors, several relatives, and members of the media to attend the court session.

The Court of General Jurisdiction of Shirak Province informed that the second hearing, which is slated for January 18, again will be held in the small hall of the military base.

Six members of the Avetisyan family—including a two-year-old girl—were shot dead, and a six-month-old baby—Seryozha Avetisyan—was wounded in their house in Gyumri on January 12, 2015; but the baby boy died in hospital one week later.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian Military Base in the city, is charged with these murders.

Armenia and Russia instituted criminal cases on charges of murder and military desertion, respectively.

On August 12, the Russian court sentenced Permyakov to ten years in prison.

And on October 16, Armenia formally brought criminal charges against the Russian soldier.

The respective trial began on December 18 of the year past.