Armenian Police Chief Speaks of Devouring Blood to Parents of Deceased Soldiers

For the first time since being appointed Chief of Armenian Police on Oct. 31, 2011, Vladimir Gasparyan today left the government building from the main entrance.

Tsovinar Nazaryan, sister of Artak Nazaryan, 30, commander of a rifle platoon and head of a Tavush military base, who died suddenly in July 2010, took the opportunity to ask Gasparyan a few questions such as why Arman Mnatsakanyan, a witness in her brother’s case, was at the disposal of Military Police during the investigation and now the RA Police.

The former deputy defense minister said he didn’t know, but this decision was likely made by the courts.

“But the Military Police took that boy to the police division in Berd immediately after the incident, unlawfully kept him for 23 days, and the boy gave a testimony in court. They beat him, took his testimonies, and wrote the scenario after which supposedly they applied a measure of protection against him; they moved him to Yerevan’s Military Police and they weren’t discharging him from military service so that he would give a testimony in court under pressure. And now he will do so under police pressure,” she said, adding that after the incident about 10 soldiers were taken and kept in the custody of Military Police; they too were beaten and their testimonies taken.

In response, the police chief said: “I can swear on my honor and life that there was no pressure during my time — it’s not something anyone would dare to do. In the custody of the Military Police are people who may have another influence — it’s not done for a bad purpose, but with the aim of disclosure, to find out the truth. No one will devour blood; the child of he who devours blood will devour blood.”

Following this statement, parents of sons killed in the army in times of peace intervened, saying, “They devour quite well, in fact.”

To a journalist’s comment that Gasparyan is currently the Chief of Police but deals with the issue of military servicemen, the former deputy defense minister said: “I am prepared for any service. I find that today too I’m an inseparable part of the army; I have been  standing beside this army [since its inception]; it makes no difference to me… wherever I can say something, I must say it. God grant you all patience,” he said and left.