‘Homeland, Protect Your Protector’: Silent Candlelight March in Memory of Killed Soldiers

On Jan. 28, when the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s Armed Forces was being celebrated in the country, local public initiative group “The Army in Reality” organized a silent candlelight march in memory of soldiers killed in the Armenian army during times of peace.

Participating in the march were concerned citizens and parents and other relatives of killed soldiers, who have for years been fighting to uncover the circumstances surrounding their sons’ deaths.

Marchers walked later in the evening on Saturday from Liberty Square (adjacent to the Opera) and down Northern Ave. to Republic Square where the march ended.

Participants held in their hands photos of the deceased solders and lit candles in memory of the victims. They also held placards with the inscription “Homeland, protect your protector”.

“The circumstances surrounding the deaths of soldiers killed during times of peace, as a rule, are covered up by the efforts of the Ministry of Defense and Military Prosecutor’s Office. The deaths are presented as suicides, the accused are not punished, and false accusations are made. The relations that prevail in the army are not regulated and are based on brutal force that goes unpunished. Instead of solving these problems at the root, the army’s management prefers to hide behind pathetic slogans. But that doesn’t guarantee any soldier’s return home safe and sound,” reads the statement issued by the group.