Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today met with the relatives of those servicemen killed in non-combat conditions. The first advisory finding as drawn up following the probe carried out by the task force established under RA Prime Minister’s Decision No. 888-N of August 3, 2020 was presented during the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Nikol Pashinyan said, “We met a few months ago and came to an agreement. But there was a war and the events you know. In the meantime, the work moved on, and we have the first finding. The first case is the criminal proceedings initiated in connection with Tigran Ohanjanyan’s death. Mrs. Vardapetyan, you have the floor.”
Adviser to the Acting Prime Minister Anna Vardapetyan provided details on the advisory finding drawn up following the probe. She noted that the criminal case initiated in connection with Tigran Ohanjanyan’s demise was the first to be studied according to the order established for criminal cases. The task force met on a weekly basis; it drafted a 140-page advisory finding, which includes the joint approach of all members of the task force, which has 6 members, 3 representatives of the RA Prime Minister, 3 representatives of the victims’ legal successors.
Anna Vardapetyan further that the task force had noticed a number of irregularities in the advisory opinion, which had to do with the investigative actions aimed at obtaining evidence relevant to the case. There are irregularities related to service probe and telephone conversations; suggestions were made in a separate part.
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A. Vardapetyan noted that the task force is not vested with investigative functions, the written advisory opinion is the professional opinion of a 6-member arms-length professional group, and a legal analysis will be sent to the authority entrusted with the preliminary investigation.
Nikol Pashinyan asked Gohar Sargsyan, the victim’s legal successor, what she thought of the findings submitted by the task force. Gohar Sargsyan said that her son’s death occurred in 2007. She has been raising concerns about the cause of death for 14 years. She agreed with the advisory opinion. She noted that she had been involved in the work of the task force, and was ready to continue cooperating with it.
Stressing that there is a general agreement on the results of the work done so far, the Acting Prime Minister suggested moving forward in accordance with the established legal procedures.
The need for proceeding to the next case was raised at the meeting. A. Vardapetyan noted that on the initiative of the parents concerned and with their mutual consent, the task force will study the criminal case initiated in connection with Valerik Muradyan’s death as a second case.
During the exchange of views, Nikol Pashinyan took note of the parents’ observations and answered their questions.
INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME-MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
