Gyumri is our city": a new scandal surrounding the Russian military base in Armenia. DW material.
Two recent incidents involving Russian soldiers in the city of Gyumri in Armenia raised questions about the conduct of the army and its responsibility according to local laws.
"Gyumri is our city! do you understand The city of Russian soldiers! "- shouts a man in military uniform, pinning a young man to the ground. The recording is accompanied by beatings, humiliation and obscene language. The video, which went viral in early November and became popular on the Internet, resonated in Armenia, where one of the last Russian military outposts in the South Caucasus is located.
In October, law enforcement authorities in Gyumri became aware of two cases of violence that allegedly involved servicemen from the 102nd Russian military base located in that city. In one case, we are talking about the beating of a Ukrainian citizen on October 10. In another case, about the assault of a young man: a local human rights organization submitted a video of this incident to the prosecutor's office on October 6. The place and time of the shooting, the identity of the participants and the circumstances of the incident have not yet been determined. Armenia's Investigative Committee emphasized that the episodes are not related to each other.
The head of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security, Willan Gabrielian, called in a conversation with DW not to rush to conclusions. "I can't say anything yet — law enforcement officers must ascertain the authenticity of this video," the deputy said, noting that the prosecutor's office continues to review the video recording. There were still no official explanations from the Russian embassy or the base command.
The 102nd Russian military base operates in Armenia based on a 1995 agreement. A protocol signed in 2010 extended her stay until 2044. The agreement stipulates an amendment of the terms by mutual agreement of the parties, and issues of the dissolution of the base are agreed upon by a special committee.
The details are in the DW material.