Russian Soldier Detained In Armenia Over Woman's Killing

Armenian authorities say they have detained a Russian soldier on suspicion of killing a woman in the northwestern city of Gyumri.

Arevik Khachatrian, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor-general, told RFE/RL on December 11 that a soldier serving at Russia's 102nd military base in Gyumri was suspected of beating a 57-year-old local woman on December 2.

The woman, identified as Julieta Ghukasian, died during her transfer to a hospital, Khachatrian said.

In 2015, a soldier from the base in Gyumri, Moscow's main foothold in the South Caucasus region, murdered seven members of an Armenian family.

A local court in August 2016 sentenced private Valery Permyakov to life in prison. He was later transferred to Russia to serve his sentence.

The high-profile killings sparked large protests in Armenia against the Russian military presence in the country.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax