Today marks the one year anniversary of the murder of seven members of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri.

Valery Permyakov, a soldier serving at the Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri, has been charged with the January 12, 2015 crime and his trial has begun in an Armenian court.

Today, at a memorial service at the Shirak cemetery in Gyumri where the seven are buried, relatives of the Avetisyan family said they are thinking of boycotting the second trial session scheduled for January 18.

They argue that the trial, taking place on the grounds of the military base, is for show only and are unconvinced that the case will provide answers to many of their unanswrerd questions regarding the murders.

They do not believe that Permyakov acted alone, nor do they believe the finding of the pre-trial investigation that the Russian soldier entered the Avetisyan house that fatefulmorning one year ago to obtain money and civilian clothes.

Rita Avetisyan, whose sister Hasmik was one of those murdered, noted that she doesn’t believe that Permyakov was a Satanist who was driven to murder seven people by some unworldly motivations.