Prosecutor’s Office: Russian suspect not to be handed over to Armenia

Russian soldier Valery Permyakov who is suspected of killing six people in the city of Gyumri will not be handed over to Armenian law enforcers.
The Prosecutors General of Armenia and Russia discussed the details of the criminal case opened in connection with the Gyumri killings on January 12. It was stressed that all those guilty must be punished with the full rigor of the law, according to the press service of Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office. 

The suspect Valery Permyakov is a Russian citizen and is under the jurisdiction of Russian investigatory bodies.

“Therefore the issue of handing V. Permyakov over to Armenian law enforcers is not discussed, given the ban in Article 61 clause 1 of the Constitution of Russia, according to which a Russian citizen may not be handed over to a foreign state.  Article 30.1 of Armenia’s Constitution also has such a ban, under which no Armenian citizen has ever been handed over to a foreign state,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The investigation is being conducted by law enforcement bodies of Armenia and Russia, with active cooperation of both sides. The Armenian side will take consistent steps so that all those guilty will be held liable under the law.