Armenian response to reports on Valeri Permyakov’s ‘mental deficiency’

Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan is concerned over the fact that Valeri Permyakov, the Russian soldier who is charged with murdering a 7-member family in Armenia’s Gyumri, has been dubbed an “oligophrenic patient.”

“What do they say? It is a good thing they did not draft him suffering from manic depression,” Mr Martirosyan said ironically, as he commented on reports by some Russian media outlets.

According to the reports, Valeri Permyakov should not have been drafted as he was an “oligophrenic patient.”

“I do not like the situation surrounding the crime. It is not at all what the public is expecting to take place. I have strong doubts that he was alone and I fear that he is being made a scapegoat, especially with such a diagnosis. A person cannot be drafted with such a diagnosis, especially to serve at a military base abroad,” Mr Matrirosyan told Tert.am.

Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan told Tert.am that Russian law-enforcement agencies advanced a lead that it was Valeri Permyakov who murdered the Avetisyan family. However, nothing has yet been proved in court nor any expert examinations have been conducted.

“I do not much think of whether he will be convicted as a perpetrator, but all this arouses doubts,” Mr Ishkhanyan said.

According to him, the Russian side had no right to provide such a definition before a trial.

“All this is to make society believe it was he, without any alternative lead considered.”

All the other things are of secondary importance.

“For example, if he is really mentally ill, those responsible for drafting him must be punished. However, it is not of essential importance for the investigation.”

Armenian MP, lawyer Edmon Marukyan told Tert.am that if Valeri Permyakov was drafted he must be considered sane regardless of whether he is an “oligophrenic” or “schizophrenic.” 

Head of the Shirak diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Mikael Ajapahyan told Tert.am that the media reports are not official ones.

“It is not an opinion by a commission or by a forensic expert. So it is too early to draw conclusions.”

He does not see any suggestion in the diagnosis ‘oligophrenic patient.’

“Do you think a mentally healthy person can commit such a crime?”

In an earlier interview with Tert.am, Sona Truzyan, Spokesperson for the Chairman of the Investigation Committee of Armenia, said that the Investigation Committee has no data on Valeri Permyakov’s mental deficiency. The investigation has not yet received answers to inquires about his health.

In his turn, Spokesman for Armenia’s Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that he is not well-informed of Russia’s laws, but “a person who leaves a mental hospital in Armenia will never be drafted.”

On the other hand, Head Psychiatrist of Armenia Armen Soghoyan told Tert.am that oligophrenic persons with mild mental retardation are normally drafted unless they have other disorders.

“Many oligophrenic people can reach a high social status if they gain certain knowledge,” he said.

Asked if such a person can be ruled criminally sane, Mr Soghoyan said:

“Insanity is a separate category and decisions are normally made for each individual case by a group of experts. This is a rather serious legal concept involving responsibility.”