Sasna Tsrer Calls for a Reevaluation of Russia's Military Presence Conditions

The Sasna Tsrer pan-Armenian party has issued a statement regarding the murder of a 57-year-old woman in Gyumri, which occurred a few days ago.

The statement reads: "The Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed only after the elections that a soldier from the Russian military base has been arrested in the case of the murder of 57-year-old Julianna Ghazaryan in Gyumri.

Meanwhile, the incident took place on December 2, and media sources reported on the same day that a Russian serviceman had brutally beaten the woman who was cleaning the streets early that morning, and she later died in the hospital.

Particularly after the massacre of the Avetisyan family on January 12, 2015, it became clear that the international agreements signed between Armenia and Russia regarding the Russian military presence, along with the legal framework established by the Russian Constitution, have created a mechanism that excludes the full implementation of justice in cases involving servicemen of the military base.

There are media reports indicating that this time too, the Russian serviceman is within the territory of the military base and, as in the case of Permyakov, investigative actions are being conducted within that territory.

If this is the case, then there is no hope that the Russian side will hand him over. The Russian Constitution explicitly prohibits this. In fact, the Russian Constitution and legal jurisdiction prevail in Armenia.

If we remain silent and take no action this time, the next tragic incident will not be long in coming. Armenia's sovereignty and legal authority must be restored.

The Sasna Tsrer pan-Armenian party urges the Armenian government to use this tragic incident as an opportunity to at least start the process of reevaluating the conditions of the Russian military presence in Armenia and to turn this process into a chance for establishing dignified relations with Russia."