YEREVAN. – The process of extraditing Armenian driver Hrachya Harutyunyan to serve his sentence in Armenia is coming to an end, reported Zhoghovurd daily.

“The procedural correspondence on this matter between the RA [i.e. the Republic of Armenia] Ministry of Justice and the RF [i.e. the Russian Federation] law enforcement has already reached the final phase. 

“Specifically, one of the necessary functions for transferring Hrachya Harutyunyan to Armenia is that the RF relevant bodies prove about there not being [any] obstacles for that.  

“Zhoghovurd has learned that those at the RF Ministry of Justice have already responded to their colleagues of Armenia that Hrachya Harutyunyan does not have any other obligation [in Russia], except for serving his sentence for his action, and he is not included in any unfinished judicial process [there].  

Therefore, it is assumed that the problem of transferring Hrachya Harutyunyan to Armenia will be resolved soon,” wrote Zhoghovurd.

Armenian citizen Hrachya Harutyunyan had pleaded guilty to causing a major traffic accident in Russia. The truck he was driving had crashed into a passenger bus on July 13, 2013 outside Moscow. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had split in two. The accident had claimed eighteen lives and injured more than forty others.

On August 4, 2014, a Moscow district court had sentenced Harutyunyan to six years and nine months in prison on charges of violating traffic and vehicle operation rules and causing death. And the Moscow Municipal Court had upheld this verdict.