Epress.am News from Armenia
Parents of of Tigran Ohanjanyan, who died on Aug. 30, 2007, while serving in the army during a time of peace, last week met with RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan, who gave the investigator, prosecutor and department chief responsible for the case until Jan. 27 to respond to the questions raised by Tigran’s parents. This news was conveyed to Epress.am by Tigran’s mother, Gohar Sargsyan.
Apart from Tigran’s parents, present at the meeting with the defense minister were investigator Levon Petrosyan, prosecutor Karen Harutyunyan and head of the Defense Ministry’s Investigative Service Armen Harutyunyan.
According to Gohar Sargsyan, they asked the officials present at the meeting how is it that their son’s clothes were torn and where did the injuries on his body come from, if according to the investigation’s findings, Tigran came in contact with a wire hanging from an antenna mast of a radio-relay station and died from electroshock, and when experts tried to examine the station, they were unable to find it and no one can say where it is. Parents of the deceased soldier, in conversations with the press, have repeatedly said exactly where the incident took place is also unclear.
Tigran’s mother further noted that they showed the defense minister photos included in the criminal case which depict Tigran’s dead body — the bodily injuries are apparent in these photos, she said.
“The forensic doctor, in his conclusion, didn’t describe and didn’t note what the reason is [for Tigran’s death]. Who gave the order? Now how are you going to respond 5 years later?” Gohar Sargsyan told the defense minister.
Recall, speaking to Epress.am in September of this year, Tigran’s father asserted that their son wasn’t electrocuted, and that senior officers are responsible for his death.
He placed much importance on the fact that though till today the investigation has been unable to determine for certain the place of the soldier’s death, none of the prosecutors on the case want to examine those who were in the guards’ room about 5 meters away from the alleged place of the incident — these were Deputy Chief of General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Haykaz Baghmanyan’s bodyguards.
On Jan. 13, the Gegharkunik District Court of First Instance acquitted the accused Rustam Asatryan and Karen Tovmasyan due to lack of evidence, and it was noted that the soldier died from electric shock.
Afterwards, the case was sent back under charges of RA Criminal Code Article 366 to the military prosecution to begin a new investigation into a new person, but the committee of 11 people concluded the same cause of death.
Tigran’s parents filed a claim with the Court of Appeals then the Court of Cassation. In both cases, the lower court’s ruling was sustained and the case was sent for re-investigation.