Armenia’s Defense Minister Meets with Relatives of Deceased Soldiers

Yesterday, RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan welcomed the relatives of deceased Armenian soldiers Artak Nazaryan and Samvel Khachatryan. 

Recall that on Oct. 3, Khachatryan’s body had been found hanging in the basement of his military unit, while the official version for Nazaryan’s death was that the contract soldier committed suicide on July 27. Later, however, an autopsy revealed signs of torture and beatings on his body which were  found to be inflicted on him by the platoon commander.

According to a release issued by the RA Defense Ministry’s public relations department, Ohanyan assured the relatives that the entire investigation of the criminal case in connection with the soldier’s deaths is directly under his supervision, that necessary measures are being taken to uncover all the circumstances in the case and to punish the guilty with all the severity available under the law. 

On the same day, the defense minister met with the relatives of Manvel Saribekyan, who died under suspicious circumstances while taken captive in Azerbaijan.

Ohanyan also met with 47 other Armenian citizens: parents of soldiers, freedom fighters, and relatives of deceased freedom fighters, and discussed with social and legal issues.