Did an Investigator of the Military Prosecutor's Office Call a Mother
Who Had Lost Her Son a `Whore'?
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/11/02/126433/
November 2, 2012 13:39
Yesterday another incident took place in the investigation department
of the Ministry of Defense between mothers of a few soldiers who had
died in the army under peaceful conditions and officials of the
investigation department, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of
Armenia. According to www.epress.am, the situation became so tense
that Yura Badalyan, an investigator of special cases, Republic of
Armenia Military Prosecutor's Office, pushed them back, insulted and
called Irina Ghazaryan, the mother of Artur Ghazaryan who had died in
the army, a `whore'? www.aravot.am talked to Gohar Sargsyan, the
mother of Tigran Ohanjanyan, a serviceman who had died in 2007. She
told about the incident in detail, `We went to the investigation
department of the Ministry of Defense from the Government Building, in
order to get information on the cases of our children. The
investigators of some parents' cases had changed, but they hadn't had
information for three months. When we said that we wanted to see Armen
Harutyunyan, the head of division, Meri Sargsyan, his press secretary,
said that he couldn't receive us at that moment, we had to come on
Tuesday. Nana Muradyan, Vahe Muradyan's mother, and Anahit Lazarian
got annoyed, because they couldn't come every day, since they were not
from the city. Particularly given the fact that we saw that
Harutyunyan was inside, his car was parked outside. At that moment,
Irina Ghazaryan, whose son died in 2010 and the case has been closed,
said with annoyance that `not only have you killed our children, you
have also concealed the cases.' The other parents also got irritated,
`Why haven't you at least informed us in three months, we may even
think that it hasn't happened at all, why do you show such an
attitude?' At that moment, Yura Badalyan came out of his office and
said insulting us that `who are these people, they have come and shout
at the top of their lungs, it was the right thing to do.' At that
moment, Irina called him a nonentity, she said that `who are you to
judge whether it was right or wrong, not only have
you killed our sons, you have also cooperated with Shota and concealed
the cases of our sons' etc....'
Mrs. Sargsyan told that after this incident Yura Badalyan came and
said that `who are these people, get them out of here.' Bulghadaryan
said that it was enough of curses etc. According to G. Sargsyan, one
of the parents, Nana, asked, `Would you keep silent, if you were us?'
G. Sargsyan said with annoyance during a conversation with us, `One
shouldn't put mothers who lost their sons under such pressure. Years
have passed and nothing has changed in the cases of our children.'
The mothers who lost their sons have applied to Serzh Sargsyan, the
Ministry of Defense, the Human Rights Defender, the prosecutor and
Tigran Sargsyan in writing. www.aravot.am tried to get clarification
during a conversation with Artsrun Hovhannisyan, the press secretary
of the Ministry of Defense what had been done about the application of
the parents. He replied, `If the application was made in accordance
with the respective procedure, it will be considered. If they applied
yesterday, it is not possible that they will get an answer today. One
needs as much time as is necessary for consideration.'
In response to our observation that the use of violence against the
mothers who had lost their sons had become regular and what measures
the Ministry of Defense wished to take, Mr. Hovhannisyan said the
following, `The Ministry of Defense has no direct connection with
that. The prosecutor's office, investigation and law-enforcement
bodies deal with those issues.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Who Had Lost Her Son a `Whore'?
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/11/02/126433/
November 2, 2012 13:39
Yesterday another incident took place in the investigation department
of the Ministry of Defense between mothers of a few soldiers who had
died in the army under peaceful conditions and officials of the
investigation department, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of
Armenia. According to www.epress.am, the situation became so tense
that Yura Badalyan, an investigator of special cases, Republic of
Armenia Military Prosecutor's Office, pushed them back, insulted and
called Irina Ghazaryan, the mother of Artur Ghazaryan who had died in
the army, a `whore'? www.aravot.am talked to Gohar Sargsyan, the
mother of Tigran Ohanjanyan, a serviceman who had died in 2007. She
told about the incident in detail, `We went to the investigation
department of the Ministry of Defense from the Government Building, in
order to get information on the cases of our children. The
investigators of some parents' cases had changed, but they hadn't had
information for three months. When we said that we wanted to see Armen
Harutyunyan, the head of division, Meri Sargsyan, his press secretary,
said that he couldn't receive us at that moment, we had to come on
Tuesday. Nana Muradyan, Vahe Muradyan's mother, and Anahit Lazarian
got annoyed, because they couldn't come every day, since they were not
from the city. Particularly given the fact that we saw that
Harutyunyan was inside, his car was parked outside. At that moment,
Irina Ghazaryan, whose son died in 2010 and the case has been closed,
said with annoyance that `not only have you killed our children, you
have also concealed the cases.' The other parents also got irritated,
`Why haven't you at least informed us in three months, we may even
think that it hasn't happened at all, why do you show such an
attitude?' At that moment, Yura Badalyan came out of his office and
said insulting us that `who are these people, they have come and shout
at the top of their lungs, it was the right thing to do.' At that
moment, Irina called him a nonentity, she said that `who are you to
judge whether it was right or wrong, not only have
you killed our sons, you have also cooperated with Shota and concealed
the cases of our sons' etc....'
Mrs. Sargsyan told that after this incident Yura Badalyan came and
said that `who are these people, get them out of here.' Bulghadaryan
said that it was enough of curses etc. According to G. Sargsyan, one
of the parents, Nana, asked, `Would you keep silent, if you were us?'
G. Sargsyan said with annoyance during a conversation with us, `One
shouldn't put mothers who lost their sons under such pressure. Years
have passed and nothing has changed in the cases of our children.'
The mothers who lost their sons have applied to Serzh Sargsyan, the
Ministry of Defense, the Human Rights Defender, the prosecutor and
Tigran Sargsyan in writing. www.aravot.am tried to get clarification
during a conversation with Artsrun Hovhannisyan, the press secretary
of the Ministry of Defense what had been done about the application of
the parents. He replied, `If the application was made in accordance
with the respective procedure, it will be considered. If they applied
yesterday, it is not possible that they will get an answer today. One
needs as much time as is necessary for consideration.'
In response to our observation that the use of violence against the
mothers who had lost their sons had become regular and what measures
the Ministry of Defense wished to take, Mr. Hovhannisyan said the
following, `The Ministry of Defense has no direct connection with
that. The prosecutor's office, investigation and law-enforcement
bodies deal with those issues.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN