Epress.am News from Armenia
Participants of a march today titled “Army Dressed in Black” organized by a civic initiative called the “Army in Reality,” holding photos of soldiers killed in non-combat, first walked around the ring of Yerevan’s Republic Square toward the RA General Prosecutor’s Office, then walked up Abovyan St. to Northern Ave down to Liberty Square and up Baghramyan St.
Reaching the National Assembly building, they turned their back to the building then marched up to the presidential residence.
As reported by the Epress.am reporter on the scene, marchers initially stood on the sidewalk across the street from the president’s residence, but when they saw that police officers were trying to move several relatives of the deceased soldiers who were just outside the gates to the opposite side of the street (where they were standing), they crossed the street and stood right outside the gates, and began to chant, “Serzhik, go away!” and “Serzhik, murderer!” referring to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.
Police continued to ask and in some cases shove protestors to stand on the opposite side of the street, but to no avail. A little while later, when several marchers were beginning to stand back, Armenian deputy defense minister Vladimir (“Vova”) Gasparyan arrived and attempted to speak with the parents of deceased soldiers. Some of the parents, seeing him, didn’t want to talk and left, while a few stayed and spoke with him.
Anahit Mkrtchyan, mother of Arayik Avetisyan killed in 2001, told Gasparyan: “You welcomed us in your office; you said the defense minister has given you an order; I’m the deputy defense minister and I will do everything to uncover the case. And what did you do for approximately 10 months?”
“Never in my life have I thrown my words to the ground. And let god be my witness. As for this specific case, it is a process which, believe me, I am coordinating — I am not the investigator. Know something for sure, let the son of one who devours blood devour blood and let the son of one who hides it devour blood [too]. That grief that you have, if it doesn’t go through us [meaning, me] let our [meaning, my] son devour that [blood too]. It can’t be like that. I understand your sorrow. Say whatever you want, say you’re procrastinating, but don’t say you tricked me,” he said.
Anahit Mkrtchyan said, nevertheless, she feels deceived.
Gasparyan insisted there is no crime that goes uncovered.
Asked by a journalist whether Gasparyan, as an official who is responsible, is not preparing to submit his resignation, the deputy minister answered in the negative, while adding that the number of murders in the army has dropped.
On this issue, head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office Artur Sakunts told Epress.am, “The issue is that there is also abuse, which doesn’t ring many alarm bells or is uncovered very rarely. That is, our whole problem is that the abuse doesn’t stop. In the 22 deaths this year, when they present statistics, [they say] there was a drop of 40%, it sounds absurd, what does it mean, 40% — why should it be common at all?”
Note as well that Gasparyan offered to drive the parents of deceased soldiers to his office to talk. A few parents agreed to this offer, while others said they didn’t want to go because they know it won’t make a difference.
Note that one of the organizers of today’s protest, Hope NGO representative Lala Aslikyan, told journalists that members of the group “We Won’t be Silent” told TV companies outside the government building that they were the organizers of the protest, after which they disappeared. According to Aslikyan, the group had no connection with the organization of the protest and march.