Gyumri murder: Legal successors file complaint against Russia with ECHR

PanARMENIAN.Net - The legal successors of the brutally murdered Avetisyan family in Gyumri have filed a complaint against Russia with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Tert.am reports.

The applicants, Andranik and Narine Poghosyan (who represent Araksya Poghosyan, the aggrieved party in the case) lodged the appeal through the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly’s Vanadzor office, claiming violations of Article 2 (Right to Life) and Article 13 (Right to Effective Remedy) of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

The appeal was justified on the grounds of violated material and procedural rights enshrined in Article 2. It was found that the state in question did not avert the imminent threat to Poghosyan and her family, knowing in advance that the perpetrator of the crime, Valery Permyakov, was unfit for military service, let alone carrying guns.

It was further found that Russia’s failure to notify Armenian law enforcers of Permyakov’s desertion in due time also contributed to the tragedy.

The Russian law enforcement authorities responsible for the probe failed to provide access to the proceeding to their colleagues in Armenia, thus barring all chances of submitting motions, appealing against the inquest bodies’ decision, etc. No Russian official was held accountable for informing Armenian law enforcement bodies of Permyakov’s desertion three hours after he was found missing.

It was found that the domestic legislation offers no mechanisms to reinstate the legal successors’ rights. The latter were familiarized with the case details three months after the Russian Investigative Committee completed all the proceedings, and Permyakov was sentenced to 10 years in prison.