Published August 12, 2015
A Russian soldier suspected of killing an entire family in Armenia has been convicted of desertion as a precursor to his murder trial.
Valery Permyakov, who served with a Russian military base in Gyumri, is suspected of shooting six family members dead and stabbing a 6-month-old baby to death in the Armenian city in January. He was captured quickly after the killings and pleaded guilty to the charges.
A Russian military court in Gyumri on Wednesday handed him a 10-year prison sentence on charges of desertion and illegal weapons possession. Armenian investigators are pursuing a separate murder probe, and a date for that trial hasn't been set yet.
Russia agreed to let Armenia handle the murder investigation after thousands rallied in Gyumri demanding that the soldier face justice in Armenia.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/russian-soldier-accused-of-killing-armenian-family-convicted-of-desertion-before-murder-trial