“We have a recording of Andranik Makaryan saying that there was a mistake, the escort got lost and they were careless. How can he be appointed chief of the General Staff? He cannot be the chief. There is a criminal case filed against him,” the mother of a soldier missing in action from the 44-Day War who served at Ejmiatsin’s ‘chemical’ base told Aravot Daily.
She asked Aravot Daily not to publish her name, but she said that the parents of soldiers missing in action were insulted by rumors that Lieutenant-General Andranik Makaryan may be appointed the chief of the General Staff to replace Onik Gasparyan.
Earlier, the relatives of soldiers who went missing in Jrakan (Jabrayil) blamed Andranik Makaryan for the fact that the soldiers’ fates are unknown. A criminal case was filed against Andranik Makaryan due to this.
“If it turns out that he gets appointed, I swore that I will do everything to ensure that he gets fired quickly. He needs to be put behind bars. He does not have the right to hold any position. Forty of our boys are missing because of him. He should have also helped our chemists, but he gave the order to retreat. And even when there is a case against him, he says that a mistake and an act of carelessness took place. Can you imagine a careless lieutenant-general holding a position of power? He can’t,” the missing soldier’s mother said.
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Interrogations have taken place surrounding Andranik Makaryan’s case and they continue. “We have evidence and facts to prove what we are saying. We aren’t saying anything just because. If there are issues that we believe should be publicized, we publicize them. We have many facts that we have presented during interrogations,” the missing soldier’s mother said, adding that they have been very consistent with this issue. “Even when our children come back, we will do everything to make sure that those to blame for this are punished. If they aren’t punished by the law, I will punish them myself.”
Nelly Grigoryan
