Expert Labelling Soldiers’ Deaths ‘Suicide’ Was Unaware of Parents’ Protests

Despite the fact that the parents of five Armenian soldiers who died in the army in non-combat incidents have been picketing the residence of Armenia's president for years demanding fair investigation into their sons' deaths, Elda Grin, a psychologist and legal expert, first encountered them today as she was leaving a reception at the residence. 

First, Grin answered negatively a reporter's question as to whether she knew who the protesters in front of the president's office were, and then, upon learning from Nana Muradyan and Irina Ghazaryan about their sons' cases, she said that the parents “have to fight over and over again until truth comes out.”

Irina Ghazaryan claimed once again that her son had been murdered; however, forensic experts and investigators subsequently announced that the death had been caused by a brain tumor. “If you are such good forensic experts and psychologists, then you should get together and review these cases. Do the right thing for once in your life,” the woman told Grin.

“I'm just shocked! I'm astonished!” the legal expert said in response, ignoring a reporter's question whether she was aware that it was her and her expert group who usually labelled the soldiers' deaths a suicide. Nevertheless, Grin left the protesting parents her telephone number and told them to call her in two days, promising to help them with their cases.

“You should pay attention to all cases concerning soldiers' murders in which psychologists give assessments based on the tales composed by investigators and label the deaths a suicide,” Nana Muradyan urged the expert.

Back in 2010, when Elda Grin gave a psychological assessment in the scandalous case of the death of first lieutenant Artak Nazaryan and supported the official version of suicide, military expert Ruben Martirosyan called her “the puncher of the preliminary investigation body.”