YEREVAN. – The court on Tuesday will announce the verdict of Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian Federation (RF) Military Base in the Republic of Armenia (RA) City of Gyumri, who is charged with the murder of seven members of the Avetisyan family of Gyumri, on January 12, 2015, reported Zhoghovurd newspaper.

“As expected, he will be sentenced to life in prison.

“According to the Zhoghovurd daily’s information, however, the Russian soldier will not serve his sentence in Armenia, but rather, he will be sent to the RF, to a facility designed for serving sentences.

“[But] the RA and RF authorities, knowing full well that transferring Permyakov to Russia could raise a new wave of discontent in Armenia, are discussing the option of ‘exchanging’ the soldier with RA citizen, bus driver Hrachya Harutyunyan, who is arrested [in Russia] for the ill-fated accident in the RF, on July 13, 2013.

“That is, when Permyakov is transferred to Russia, it will be immediately announced also that Harutyunyan will be handed over to the RA law enforcement,” wrote Zhoghovurd.