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THURSDAY RITUAL: PARENTS OF SOLDIERS KEEP QUESTIONS ALIVE AFTER SONS~R DEATHS
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
03.11.11 | 16:31
Parents of soldiers, who died in non-combat conditions in the
Armed Forces of Armenia, or according to the official version -
who committed suicide, gathered in front of the Government building
on Thursday, and demanded from the authorities a just disclosure of
their children's death cases.
Enlarge Photo
The tragic cases turned controversial two weeks ago, when then-
Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Gasparyan accused the parents of
being used by NGOs and of generally being unpatriotic by questioning
their sons' deaths.
Gohar Ohanjanyan, whose son Tigran who died in the army, referred to
Gasparayan's statement during Thursday's weekly protest:
"The authorities feel that the pressure becomes stronger. Yes, now they
[human rights defense organizations] stand by us, let the authorities
stand by us. Now I have my son's tomb, but I have no one who is guilty
for it."
Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan, referring to Gasparyan's statement,
told ArmeniaNow that his ministry is open and will work with all NGOs
which try to meet them halfway and support them.
"However, there were cases of slanders, personal insults, [and]
unlawful steps, we try to work with such organizations in the legal
field," Ohanyan said. "There were no campaigns of defaming the army,
however, there were steps taken by separate individuals and NGOs."
Speaking about Armen Moghrovyan, 19, who was found dead in the area
of a military unit at Karabakh's Hadrut region on October 29 (autopsy
revealed that his death was caused by acute blood circulation disorder
in coronary arteries), and the problem that very often young men with
serious health problems are conscripted, Ohanyan said that soldiers
usually undergo a three-level medical examination.
"Medical examination is done in permanent deployment areas,
in provincial military commissariats, in the republican medical
commission, and also in the medical commission of our assembly point.
Control is done by our central military medical commission. I will
speak about all this during the upcoming selection," Ohanyan said.
According to official statistics, since 2007, 228 conscripts have died
in the Armed Forces of Armenia because of different reasons. Only 32
deaths were related to ceasefire violation. Meanwhile, according to
non-official data, and according to experts, since 1994 more than 1,500
young men have died in the Armenian Army, most from non-combat causes.
From: Baghdasarian
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
03.11.11 | 16:31
Parents of soldiers, who died in non-combat conditions in the
Armed Forces of Armenia, or according to the official version -
who committed suicide, gathered in front of the Government building
on Thursday, and demanded from the authorities a just disclosure of
their children's death cases.
Enlarge Photo
The tragic cases turned controversial two weeks ago, when then-
Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Gasparyan accused the parents of
being used by NGOs and of generally being unpatriotic by questioning
their sons' deaths.
Gohar Ohanjanyan, whose son Tigran who died in the army, referred to
Gasparayan's statement during Thursday's weekly protest:
"The authorities feel that the pressure becomes stronger. Yes, now they
[human rights defense organizations] stand by us, let the authorities
stand by us. Now I have my son's tomb, but I have no one who is guilty
for it."
Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan, referring to Gasparyan's statement,
told ArmeniaNow that his ministry is open and will work with all NGOs
which try to meet them halfway and support them.
"However, there were cases of slanders, personal insults, [and]
unlawful steps, we try to work with such organizations in the legal
field," Ohanyan said. "There were no campaigns of defaming the army,
however, there were steps taken by separate individuals and NGOs."
Speaking about Armen Moghrovyan, 19, who was found dead in the area
of a military unit at Karabakh's Hadrut region on October 29 (autopsy
revealed that his death was caused by acute blood circulation disorder
in coronary arteries), and the problem that very often young men with
serious health problems are conscripted, Ohanyan said that soldiers
usually undergo a three-level medical examination.
"Medical examination is done in permanent deployment areas,
in provincial military commissariats, in the republican medical
commission, and also in the medical commission of our assembly point.
Control is done by our central military medical commission. I will
speak about all this during the upcoming selection," Ohanyan said.
According to official statistics, since 2007, 228 conscripts have died
in the Armed Forces of Armenia because of different reasons. Only 32
deaths were related to ceasefire violation. Meanwhile, according to
non-official data, and according to experts, since 1994 more than 1,500
young men have died in the Armenian Army, most from non-combat causes.
From: Baghdasarian