Parents of Dead Soldiers Pushed and Pulled by Police Near Presidential Palace (VIDEO)

The parents of five killed soldiers, perished in peace time, organized a rally from the Armenian government building to the Presidential Palace. According to them, the objective of the protest rally was to remind officials, once more, about the cases of their children’s deaths, the perpetrators of which have not been revealed and punished in the past five years.

When the protesters reached the Presidential Palace, police officers blocked them and demanded that they not walk on the sidewalk of the Palace. A group of protesters went off on to the busy street, and then police pushed and pulled them back on to the sidewalk. Nana Muradyan, the mother of one of the killed soldiers, Valeri Muradyan, tried to get near the gates of the palace, however, the police pushed her back, which further enraged her and motivated her to reach the gates by all means, while demanding not to be pushed. The police, using force against the woman, explained that they were doing their job, while Muradyan said that the policemen's sons didn’t have the same luck in the military, and that they would not understand her.

“Serzh Sargsyan is the killer,” shouted the soldiers' parents multiple times.

The protesters had opened a poster in front of the Palace with the names and photos of the five soldiers, Tigran Ohanjanyan, Valeri Muradyan, Artur Ghazaryan, Araik Avetisyan, and Arman Muradyan.

Hovsep Muradyan, the father of Arman Muradyan, told an Epress.am journalist that their questions were left unanswered, no attention is given to their children’s deaths, and they want to bring up the illegalities of the army once more.

“The stork didn’t bring our child for us to keep and raise, while the army is devouring them, and they have not accused anyone or punished anyone,” said Muradyan. He noted that if there is no attention given to the issue after today’s protest, then the next one will have more people coming to the Presidential Palace.

The parents were promised to meet with a representative from the President’s office, however, the police presence increased, while no one came to speak with them. The protesters later left to meet with Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan.

Protests by the families of the 5 soldiers have been taking place for over 5 years. In 2011, Serzh Sargsyan had a brief encounter with the mothers near his Palace gates promising to give “special attention” toward the cases. In July, the current Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan spoke to each mother and promised to help them in solving their concerns . The parents of the dead soldiers stage a protest once a week in front of the government building every Thursday.