Head of Russia’s investigative committee arrives in Yerevan to look into brutal killing of six-member family in Gyumri

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. / ARKA /. Head of Russia's Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin is expected today in Yerevan to look together with Armenian law-enforcement bodies into the brutal killing of a six-member family in the Armenian city of Gyumri by a soldier form the local Russian military base. Bastrykin was invited to visit Armenia by his Armenian counterpart Aghvan Hovsepyan.

The Armenian Investigative Committee said the agreement was reached during a telephone conversation the two men had earlier today. It said they discussed a set of issues related to the investigation into the killings.

On Sunday Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a swift investigation and appropriate punishment for the massacre of the six members of the single family during a phone conversation with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

Putin was quoted as saying in a statement that the investigation would be carried out "in the swiftest period of time and the guilty will be punished in accordance with the law." 

Putin also expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims and told President Sargsyan that Russian doctors who arrived in Armenia would help treat the 6-month-old boy who was the sole survivor of the attack last week.

The massacre in the city of Gyumri sparked large protests last week by Armenians who demanded that Private Valery Permyakov, who confessed to killing the family, face trial in an Armenian court.-0-