ARMENIA DEFENSE MINISTER TELLS MOTHERS OF SLAIN SOLDIERS ‘WHAT CAN I DO?’
epress.am
08.18.2011
Parents of young men killed while serving in Armenia’s armed forces
were once again protesting outside the government building in the
capital today. They were waiting outside the main entrance in order to
speak with RA defense minister Seyran Ohanyan. Learning that Ohanyan
is leaving the building from another exit, they, as well as media
representatives, rushed to that entrance; however, as told by the
Epress.am reporter on the scene, Ohanyan’s bodyguards prohibited
reporters from approaching the minister and attempted to obstruct
their work – in particular, by not permitting members of the media
to audio-record or film the minister who was speaking with the mother
of slain soldier Arayik Avetisyan.
The defense minister’s bodyguards advised reporters to send their
questions to the ministry’s press secretary.
After speaking with the minister, Anahit Lazarian, mother of Arayik
Avetisyan who was killed in 2001, summarized their conversation.
“He said so many years have passed, what can I do? And I said,
establish law and order in the army, catch those commanders, replace
them – are they irreplaceable? I asked the minister to bring the
army to order. He says the army is in a very good state. I am going
to go with reporters to the [government] reception [desk]; he wrote
my name and said, ‘I’ll call you to receive you.” I am going to keep
all of you informed. Give me cognizance, see how I’m going to reveal
the crimes in the army. During the time my son [served in the army],
they came for vacation [i.e. back home] for [a bribe of] $100; now
it’s much more. The children aren’t speaking; they’re afraid – it’s
a total fear in the entire country,” she said.
Lazarian described how her son was killed in the presence of 4
individuals in the chief of staff’s office, but she has yet to get
some answers. “My son had gone from his vacation; they said he had to
take $100 and 2 liters of vodka. He went without the $100. I have a
testimony from an eyewitness; I acquired it; then they made it be known
that he should go from Armenia, go to Russia. That boy was clearly
saying, the battalion commander came, said ‘why didn’t you bring
the full amount?’ That meant that my son had taken half the amount,
I sent 15,000 drams, but till today there’s nothing about this 15,000
drams clarified through investigation. What happened to that money?”
According to her, she found out that the battalion commander possessed
an unregistered firearm and her son was killed with that gun.