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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by telephone with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian on Tuesday, Interfax reported.

"The Russian foreign minister expressed his deep condolences over the death of the six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan. He expressed his firm conviction that as a result of a joint Russian-Armenian inquiry into the Gyumri tragedy and the subsequent trial, the perpetrator of this atrocity would suffer the penalty he deserves," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

According to earlier reports, a family of six, including a two year old child, were murdered in Gyumri on January 12. The only survivor, six month old Sergei Avetisyan, was hospitalized with a stab wound. He died on January 19.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman from Russia's 102nd military base, who is deployed in Gyumri, was detained shortly after the attack. He is now on the territory of the military base. Criminal charges were brought against him on January 14 based on the Russian and Armenian Criminal Codes.

On January 15, protests broke out in Gyumri. Their participants demanded that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian justice system. Fourteen people, including five policemen, were hospitalized after clashes between the demonstrators and police.

On January 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsian to extend his condolences again to the victims' relatives and all people of Armenia with regard to the tragedy in Gyumri.