MOSCOW, January 23 (RAPSI) – Armenian investigators have interrogated Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, who stands charged with fatally shooting seven members of a family in the city of Gyumri, Interfax reported on Friday, citing the Armenian Investigative Committee.
The Сommittee broadcast a 30-second footage of Permyakov’s interrogation. Faces of his lawyer and translator were blurred for security reasons, according to investigators.
Over 30 witnesses were interviewed so far, over a dozen expert reviews conducted.
On Wednesday, Permyakov pled guilty to the charges brought against him. He was charged with the murder of two or more persons under the Armenian Criminal Code. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
On January 12, Permyakov, who was serving at Russia's 102nd army base in Gyumri, killed a family of six and mortally wounded a six-month-old baby, who died of injuries on January 19.
Russian Investigative Committee Director Alexander Bastrykin met in Yerevan with Agvan Ovsepyan, the head of the Armenian Investigative Committee, on Tuesday. They signed an agreement to establish a center to coordinate the investigation into the criminal case. Armenian and Russian investigators, crime experts will enter the 10-member center.
They will cooperate in this case and conduct all the necessary procedures in strict compliance with international law and a Russian-Armenian agreement on jurisdiction and mutual legal assistance in cases related to the deployment of the Russian military base in Armenia, according to the Armenian Investigative Committee.
Pretrial investigation into the case and court hearings would be held in Armenia, Bastrykin said earlier.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Permyakov would appear before a Russian military panel.