An Armenian prosecutor has demanded a life sentence for a Russian soldier charged with killing a family of seven.
The prosecutor in the northwestern Armenian city of Gyumri urged on August 12 that Valery Permyakov be given life for last year’s killing.
Permyakov has pleaded guilty.
On January 12, 2015, six members of the Avetisian family were found dead in their house, including a 2-year-old girl. All the victims were shot or stabbed to death.
A 6-month-old boy who was seriously wounded died a week later.
Permyakov was later detained near the Armenian-Turkish border.
The case led to mass protests in Gyumri and Yerevan against Russia's military presence in the country and calls for the trial to be heard by Armenian judges instead of Russian military judges.
In August 2015, a Russian court found Permyakov guilty of desertion and other charges. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was then handed over to Armenia for trial on murder charges.
Russia maintains a garrison of around 3,000 soldiers at the 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, some 120 kilometers northwest of the capital.
