Epress.am News from Armenia
The parents of 5 soldiers killed during peacetime sent a letter to President Serzh Sargsyan back in November 27, 2014, demandeding that the President meet them and resolve “the criminal cases dealing with our children’s deaths.”
Nearly 2 months have passed since sending the letter, however, the parents have still not received a response. The parents spoke about the non-existing response during a protest in front of the Presidential Palace today. They continually mentioned that on January 27 of 2011, the Presidential staff promised them behind the Palace trees that the newly appointed Military Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan (current General Prosecutor) would get acquainted with the criminal cases and present a new approach. According to the parents, however, the wagon has stayed at the same place and the real circumstances of their children’s deaths have not been revealed yet.
“Who should we appeal to? I suppose to Putin, I guess he’s our president,” said Irina Ghazaryan, the mother of Artur Ghazaryan who died in 2010.
The latter also turned to the Gyurmi tragedy, recalling Gevorg Kostanyan giving a “man’s word” to Gyurmi residents that he would appeal to Russia for the transfer of the murder suspect Valery Permyakov, who admitted to killing 7 members of the Avetisyan family to the Armenian authorities.
“The corpses are laid to rest and you’re giving a man’s word. Are you talking with the criminals, are you in negotiations, are you with the gangsters? Which planet are you living on? You are General Prosecutor, you have to put yourself in the people's shoes…What is your man’s word to their demands? What does a “man’s word” even mean? Does a General Prosecutor have the right to do such things?” noted Ghazaryan.