‘Why Do Armenia Citizens Serve in Karabakh?’ Ombudsman Unsatisfied with Defense Ministry Response

The Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office is currently reviewing the case of Lena Sarukhanyan, the mother of Gyumri resident Torgom Sarukhanyan, 22, who died on Feb. 12, 2011, from a gunshot wound he received while serving in one of the military bases in Khojaly, Nagorno-Karabakh. Recall, on Feb. 3, 2012, Lena wrote a letter to Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan asking why citizens of Armenia are serving in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We received Mrs. Sarukhanyan’s initial request and immediately submitted a request to the Ministry of Defense, but the ministry’s response didn’t satisfy us. Consequently, we wrote a letter to the prime minister, so that we can finally receive a satisfactory answer that we could then pass on to Mrs. Sarukhanyan,” Aram Vardevanyan, a representative of the Ombudsman’s Office, informed Epress.am, not providing further details on the Defense Ministry’s response.

Vardevanyan said that they are still waiting for the head of government’s intervention in this case.

The Ombudsman’s Office representative also said he was surprised at Lena Sarukhanyan’s claim that their office had spoken harshly with her.

Note, Sarukhanyan called the office early March to find out what happened to her application. She charges that Ashot Vardevanyan spoke harshly with her, which he disputes.