The Deputy Chairman of YVU department Ara Ketikyan assures that his soldier friend, the former Governor of Syunik Surik Khachatryan had no necessity to be engage in cattle plundering in 90s because those he was living a comfortable life then. “When the movement began, Surik Khachatryan was living in Zaporozhe city (Ukraine) and lived quite comfortably. He returned and right the first days of the movement came back to Armenia, began organizing self-defense battles Goris. He participated as a volunteer first in Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts, then in the hostilities. In 1992, all detachments of Goris region were uniting with each other, and a contract Battalion was opened, the commander of which was Surik. It was a very large battalion, which was defending both 150 km of border in Goris and Vorotan Karmrakar-Goris-Kapan highway, which was constantly in danger of enemy harassment and fired shots.
Surik Khachatryan with his contract battalion was defending the highway. Then, from 1993, he left for Artsakh, to Fizouli sector, and the battalion stayed there until the year 1995. He did not have the necessity to be engaged in cattle plundering, he was a well-provided man when he returned home and participated in the movement, then in the liberation of Artsakh”, – told Mr. Ketikyan to Aravot.am. To our observation that some country fighters insist that they did not see neither his battalion nor his command in 90s, Mr. Ketikyan said,- “He had very normally participated in Artsakh liberation war and he had been a normal commander.” According to Mr. Ketikyani, “Criticizing Surik Khachatryan is not a moral step. If they were going to say, let them say it a few months ago. I know Surik Khachatryan as a country fighter, military comrade and an active participant in Artsakh liberation war. He was a good organizer, he was giving a great importance to the discipline and was strict in all sectors no matter as a detachment commander, in the civil work, or as a governor. He is a man of high discipline, and always demands discipline from his subordinates. This is also a reason that many people are dissatisfied with him.” To our observation that people who know Surik Khachatryan tell he had created an atmosphere of horror and fear in Syunik, Mr. Ketikyann said,- “I have been to Syunik many times, I have communicated with him, I’ve never been afraid, and I have not seen anyone be afraid.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
