Head of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office, human rights activist Artur Sakunts is preparing an application to the European Court of Human Rights in connection with the murder of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri.

He told Armenian News – NEWS.am that the judgment of the Cassation Court has already been received. “We have six months to prepare and send the application to the ECHR but we will do this earlier. Now the application is in a preparation stage,” Sakunts noted.

The demand remains the same: to recognize that the case has not been solved and reinvestigate it.

Earlier, the Court of Cassation of Armenia defeated the claims regarding the murder of the Avetisyan family.

On December 19, 2016, the Court of Appeal upheld the lower court decision on this case. 

The murder took place on January 12, 2015. According to the indictment, Permyakov entered the Avetisyan family home on that day, and he killed home residents Aida Avetisyan, Hasmik Avetisyan, Seryozha Avetisyan, Armen Avetisyan, Araksya Poghosyan, and little girl Hasmik Avetisyan. Subsequently, he stabbed 6-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan five times. The baby boy died in the hospital one week later.

Permyakov was apprehended by the Russian border guards near the Armenian-Turkish border—and nearby Bayandur village—on the same night, he was arrested on January 14, and held in custody at the Russian military base.

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

On August 12, 2015, the Russian court sentenced Permyakov to ten years in prison. And on October 16 of the same year, Armenia formally brought criminal charges against the Russian soldier.

And on August 23, 2016, the Shirak District Court of First Instance found Valery Permyakov guilty of all charges—murder, robbery, and attempt to cross the Armenian state border—that were brought against him, and he was sentenced to life in prison.