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Relatives of Gyumri Massacre Victims Sue Russia

People holds portraits of six dead members of the Avetisyan family during a funeral in the city of Gyumri, Armenia.

The relatives of a family killed by a Russian soldier in the Armenian city of Gyumri have filed a lawsuit against Russia, the Armenia Today news website reported Friday.

Russia is a guilty party because its military employed a person with mental disabilities and allowed him to use weapons, according to the relatives.

The plaintiffs estimate the damage caused by Russia's actions at 450,000 euros ($500,000): 50,000 euros for each adult of the killed family and 100,000 for each of the two murdered children.

On Jan. 12, 2015, the six members of the Avetisyan family, including a two-year old girl, were shot dead in the city of Gyumri — where Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov was posted at a military base. The only survivor — a six-month-old baby — later died from serious injuries in hospital.

Permyakov was detained on the same day near the Armenian border with Turkey. He fully confessed to the crime. He said in court that he killed the children because they were making noise.

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