Father of Dead Armenian Soldier Believes Son Was Intentionally Killed

19-year-old soldier Arman Ghandilyan, who was fatally wounded on September 7 at one of the north-eastern combat positions of the Nagorno-Karabakh defense army, did not actually die “as a result of violation of combat duty rules,” as initially reported by NKR military authorities, but was “intentionally targeted,” the soldier's father, Alik Ghandilyan, said in conversation with News.am Tuesday. 

The father of the deceased serviceman was informed recently by the NKR defense ministry that one person, a fellow soldier, has been arrested over the fatal shooting of his son. “According to the note, conscript Hayk Seyranyan, who had been appointed for guard duty that night, violated the rules of combat duty, relaxed his vigilance and failed therefore to carry out the responsibilities of a guard properly.' As a result, he did not notice the other guard, [my son], climbing out of the fighting hole, and later, when he saw the silhouette of his head on the mound, Seyranyan opened fire on him, without asking for a password first,” Alik Ghandilyan told News.am.

The aggrieved father added that the suspect has said that he shot his fellow serviceman “out of fear, thinking [Ghandilyan] was an [Azerbaijani soldier].”

“I doubt that's true, though. Three weeks [before his death], my son was robbed of his money and other belongings. A conflict must have ensued, which subsequently continued at the positions,” the father alleged.