On 18 May, Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, 21, was extradited to Russia following an agreement between Armenia and Russia that his life sentence will be fully implemented.

‘As a result of consultations held with the competent Russian authorities, an agreement was reached to provide further information about the execution of Permyakov’s punishment’, Armenian news outlet NEWS.am quoted Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Valery Permyakov served at Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, in northwest Armenia. On 12 January 2015, he committed the mass murder of seven members of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri, including a 2-year-old and 6-month-old child. He was apprehended by Russian border guards while attempting to illegally cross into neighbouring Turkey.

In August 2015, a Russian military court at the base in Gyumri sentenced Permyakov to 10 years in prison for desertion and theft of firearms and ammunition.

In August 2016, Permyakov was sentenced to life in prison by an Armenian court, after he pleaded guilty of murder. Armenia’s Court of Appeals upheld the verdict in December 2016.

On 4 May 2017, the North Caucasian District Court recognised the Armenian verdict and declared that Permyakov should serve his sentence in Russia.