“Obvious” that Military Conscripts were Coached Before Attending Funeral: Deceased Soldier’s Cousin

The story of the June 20 death of rank-and-file soldier Grisha Khachatryan (pictured) is very confusing: thus, it is necessary to find the end of the tail and be vigilant, until all those who are guilty are punished, Khachatryan's cousin Arman Nikoghosyan told Epress.am today. According to him, it's impossible to describe the atmosphere that prevailed at the funeral among the family, who doesn't know exactly what happened at the outpost of one of the military units in Ararat marz (province). 

"The military unit gave the guys serving in the Sisian region official temporary leave to come and attend the burial. It's surprising that after such an incident, they are given official leave to attend the burial, and in the evening they went home," he said. According to Nikoghosyan, all those who came to the funeral, from the rank-and-file soldiers up to the commander of the military unit, unanimously claimed they didn't know about the incident. 

"They say, they were at the [battle] positions; we were at the military unit and didn't know anything; but it was obvious that the kids were specially prepared — from the young to the old, they were briefed and then brought. We won't leave it like this; we'll find out everything, point by point — all will be punished," he said. 

Recall, after news spread of the death of the 19-year-old military conscript from the village of Sarnakunk in Syunik marz, RA Ministry of Defense spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that, according to preliminary data, Khachatryan died from an enemy bullet. Later, the Ministry of Defense issued a statement in which it said that Khachatryan died at the military post, and details of the incident were being confirmed. Afterwards, RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan told journalists that Khachatryan, according to preliminary data, received a fatal gunshot wound as a result of a breach of the rules for use of weapons. 

Later, the Ministry of Defense declared that a criminal case was launched under RA Criminal Code Article 104 Section 1 (murder). Speaking to Epress.am, military expert Ruben Martirosyan, who was present at the soldier's autopsy on June 21, claimed that initially the criminal case was filed under Article 373 Section 3 ("breach of rules for handling weapons, ammunition and items dangerous for others, which negligently caused human death"). According to Martirosyan, he and relatives of the deceased saw that document at the morgue; however, the Ministry of Defense didn't report this in its statement.