It is Quite Astonishing that the MoD so Promptly Qualifies Death Cases in the Army as Suicides

This year there have been 30 casualties in the Armenian Army, of which only 9 resulted from violations of ceasefire. 

Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, gave this information today, October 14, during the protest of the activists of “The Army in Reality” Group and the mothers of soldiers who died during peace-time conditions, at the Armenian Presidential Palace.  He noted that compared to last year, during the same period, the rate of deaths was the same.

‘It is possible there have been 3000 cases of deaths in the army since 1994. We have sent an inquiry to the Ministry of Defense, and if they work transparently then they will make the information public,’ said Artur Sakunts.   

Referring to yesterday’s case, when another private died in an army unit in Ijevan, he argued that the initial qualification of “suicide” is questionable, because there should be an investigation first.  ‘It is quite surprising for me that the investigative division collects information so promptly and immediately gives out information without waiting for the investigation to complete its data. If they can control the situation so timely why don’t they prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place,’ he stated. He added that according to his information the privates have access to a very limited number of bullets. 

As to the case in “Yeghnikner” Army Unit in the NKR, Sakunts said that there were officers’ names written on the private’s hand as well, but they are trying to remove them from the case.

A group of parents of soldiers who died in the army, MP Zaruhi Postanjyan from “Heritage” Party, Mikayel Danielyan from the Helsinki Association and several activists participated in today’s action. The decision about the action was made yesterday evening by “The Army in Reality” group, after it became known that 21 year-old Aram Melkonyan died in an army unit in Ijevan on October 13th. He is the third soldier who died in the last 5 days. 

Families and parents of soldiers that died in the Army in peacetime, each told what happened to their sons and demand that the offenders be punished. Suren Ohanjanyan, the father of Tigran Ohanjanyan who died in 2007 in Gegharkunik, argued that the murders in the army are not revealed: “all murders are distorted by Shota Vardanyan and turned into suicides or accidents.’

The parents complained that for years they have appealed to different relevant bodies, have presented all all the evidence but still they didn’t see any results. 

’20 days were left before the boy was due to come back home, instead they brought and put the dead body of the 20 year-old son in front of his mother,’ said a family member of private Narek Galstyan, killed on May 9, 2008 in Meghri-Agarak.

A third death has been registered in the army in the last 5 days, and all cases are officially qualified as “suicides”. Earlier NEWS.am informed that the last case was in an army unit in Ijevan on October 13th, at around 3 p.m., and the deceased was the 21 year-old private, Aram Ashot Melkonyan. Melkonyan was a resident of Yerevan. He was recruited during the first call up of 2011 from Nor Nork Military Commissariat.  According to the official version, on October 12th, at around 12:40 p.m., serviceman Yurik Gevorg Nersisyan, a 19 year-old resident of Kharberd, committed suicide with his own weapon, while on duty on the front-line of the protection section in Mataghis Army Unit.  And on October 9th, another 19 year-old resident of Kharberd, serviceman Vladimir Andranik Asatryan, committed suicide with his own AKM assault rifle, while on duty on the front-line of the protection section in Martakert Army Unit.

Besides those protesting against the army deaths, there were also other people protesting with different demands; in particular, they demanded to return their illegally pledged houses. 

Source: www.news.am