Armenia: mothers of soldiers lost in army demand fair investigation into incidents

A protest of mothers of soldiers who perished as a result of hazing in the army was held near the building of the Government of Armenia. Mothers and close relatives of the soldiers lost in the Armenian army expressed their resentment over the fact that so far there is no tangible progress in none of the cases of non-combat military personnel casualties or deaths as a result of hazing in the army.

Mother of Tigran Ogadjanyan, who deceased in the summer of 2007 in a military unit located in the village of Karchakhpyur of Gegarkunik Region of Armenia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that, despite the fact that she managed to insist on retrial, till now there was no progress in the investigation. "The only thing we were still said that earlier the place of my son's death was fabricated by the investigators," she said.

According to the official version of the investigation, the death of a junior sergeant Tigran Ogandjanyan was the result of fatal electric shock. "We demand the only thing – the fair investigation into the death of our sons," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by the mother of the deceased soldier.

Mother of Valeriy Muradyan, who had been found hanging from a horizontal bar in March 2010 in a military unit of Nagorno-Karabakh, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she did not believe the official version of the investigation, according to which her son had been driven to suicide because of three thousand drams. "If this were true, and my son would have been terrorized for three thousand drams, why he refused the money, which I had offered to send him on the eve of his death. The corpse of my son was brought back from the military unit, the body had many bruises," the woman said.

Mother of Narek Galstyan, who died in 2008 in a military unit of Megri District of Armenia bordering on Iran, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the investigators simulate the work, but actually "mark time". "They should clear at least one crime and that at least one parent would believe that there is the truth in Armenia. People do not believe in anything and go away from here. The leadership, open your eyes and see what happens in the Armenian army!" stated the mother of the deceased soldier.

Gevorg Kostanyan, Military Prosecutor of Armenia, appointed to this position last November, promised to solve murders committed in the army.