Epress.am News from Armenia
Single mother Asli Hasanyan, who lives in a small house in Gyumri with her four children, intends to sell the house to pay for her 20-year-old son’s medical treatment. Artur, the woman told Epress.am, acquired a disability while in the army: after having served 23 months in a Nagorno Karabakh military unit, the young man was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and discharged from the army because he was deemed unfit for service. Armenia’s Ministry of Defense and the Government have yet to respond to the woman’s requests for her son’s treatment payment.
On May 30, the Yazidi family came to Yerevan to hand over letters to Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Justice Minister Davit Harutyunyan; in the letters, the woman says she, along with her four children, will renounce their Armenian citizenship if the authorities do not ensure proper medical treatment for her son. A spokesperson for the Justice Ministry, however, has told the woman that they only deal with cases that have gone to court.
Government representatives have not responded to the letter yet. “I saw the prime minister when he came to Gyumri during the parliamentary election campaign. His guards tried to keep me away, but Karen Karapetyan told them to let me speak. He listened to me politely but said that I should submit my letters to the Ministry of Health. Here I was told again that they can’t help me. What kind of an answer is this? I gave you a healthy son!” Hasanyan says.
“I voluntarily went to fighting positions [during the 2016 escalation of the Nagorno Karabakh border]. On April 4, a grenade flew in my direction and threw me back several meters. I began having back pains, but things were too hectic then and no one had time for my pain. So what if I didn’t die when protecting the positions? Does that mean I didn’t fight at all?” Artur says offendedly in response to Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan’s claims that Artur did not actually take part in the April fighting.
“I actually wanted choose a military career. I began working at the age of 12; I used to be a fidget, and now it’s very hard to accept that I’m disabled and won’t be able to work anymore,” the ex-soldier continues.
“They are consistent only when it comes to dead soldiers. They will never take care of the soldiers who fall ill, go blind or lose their leg in the army. But when a soldier does, they immediately give the soldier’s mother a medal to show the world how much they care. I don’t need this medal. I gave them a healthy soldier and want a healthy soldier back. Let them choke on their budget; I’m not asking you to give me alms. The people are paying 1000 drams every month from their wages, why can’t you help me at least with this money?” Asli Hasanyan says disgruntledly.