"Zhoghovurd": People took to the streets over the Permyakov case, but there is silence following the Shakhi incident—why have the standards changed?
The *Zhoghovurd* daily reports that January 2015 was one of the most tense periods in Armenia's modern history.
Valery Permyakov, a serviceman from the Russian 102nd Military Base, was accused of murdering six members of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri; one of the family's young children was critically wounded and subsequently died. The Russian side apprehended Permyakov as he attempted to cross the Armenian-Turkish border and took him into custody.
Public outrage quickly escalated into broad political and legal demands.
In Gyumri, citizens marched toward the Russian military base, demanding that Permyakov be handed over to Armenian law enforcement authorities. Protests were also held in Yerevan. On January 15, clashes broke out between protesters and police near the Russian consulate in Gyumri; at least 15 people were injured, and more than 20 protesters were temporarily detained.
A number of civil society organizations also issued statements. For instance, Transparency International Anticorruption Center and other organizations joined a statement regarding the Permyakov case, demanding a proper investigation and legal process.
In other words, the issue was not perceived merely as a crime committed by a single serviceman. It had evolved into a major public debate concerning Armenia's sovereignty and jurisdiction, the Russian military base, and Armenian-Russian relations.
Let us move forward to October 1, 2026. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musaev illegally entered a residential home in the village of Shaki, within the Sisian community of the Syunik region. After being discovered inside the house, he opened fire, wounding a female resident. Her three children also subsequently sought medical attention. The serviceman fled the scene but was later located and arrested.
And this raises the most important question:
Where is that same public outrage that took to the streets in 2015? Where are the statements that were voiced for days regarding the Permyakov case? Where are the demands for the closure of the military base? Where are the mass marches? Where is the same level of activity from civil society organizations? Where is the demand for an explanation as to how a foreign serviceman ended up on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, reached a settlement in Syunik, and entered a citizen's home?
These questions are particularly important because, in 2015, the Permyakov case rapidly transcended the scope of a specific criminal investigation in public discourse. It became the catalyst for a major public debate regarding Armenia's sovereignty and the foreign military presence. At the time, even international analyses noted that the murder was seriously testing relations between Armenia and Russia.
Today, the situation is different—in both political and geopolitical terms. Yet, for precisely this reason, the question of the reaction from society and civil society organizations remains significant.
If the standard for human rights protection is truly universal, it should not change based on whether the serviceman accused of violence is Russian, Azerbaijani, or a citizen of any other country.
In 2015, the demand was clear: a foreign serviceman must not go unpunished for a crime committed on Armenian territory.
In 2026, the same principle must apply, regardless of the serviceman's nationality.
Otherwise, a very uncomfortable question naturally arises for the public: was the outrage of 2015 truly rooted in human rights and Armenia's sovereignty, or in the political context of that time? The answer must come not only from the authorities but also from those civil society organizations that have long championed human rights, accountability, and the defense of Armenia’s sovereignty.
Yesterday, just a few young members of the ARF youth wing staged a brief protest outside the NSS headquarters—and that was it; everyone simply went about their business. There was stony silence from the authorities.
