Serzh Sargsyan Has Received Letter by Parents of Dead Soldiers: No Response Yet

Today, March 12, only one of the parents of soldiers who have died in the army during peacetime, Gohar Sargsyan, was allowed to approach the Reception of Citizens, Appeals, Complaints and Proposals Office of the RA President's office in order to receive a response to their letter sent in November of last year.

Last week, the police did not allow the parents to walk along the Presidential Palace’s sidewalk to approach the reception office with the reasoning that they might have stood in front of the building and protested.

The parents also encountered police restrictions today, and subsequently called the Human Rights Defender's office. After private negotiations between the Ombudsman’s office staffer and police officers, Gohar Sargsyan was allowed to enter the receptions and appeals department.

After an approximately half-hour meeting with department head Aida Asatryan, Gohar Sargsyan told an Epress.am journalist and the other parents that “Asatryan said that she reported to the chief of staff and that the President is informed about the protest and demands.” 

According to the parent, Asatryan even showed her list of registered meetings to prove that she had done her job and informed Serzh Sargsyan.

Asatryan stated that the President had not responded to the letter and if he ever did they would send it to the parents, since they have their addresses and phone numbers.

Note, that the parents of dead soldiers demand and expect Serzh Sargsyan to stay true to his promise he made many years ago, in order to safeguard fair trials for their children's cases.