Muradov Surprised Why Such News Was Circulated Through a Parliament Member

Currently, there are about 50-60 people here who want to enter together and present their demands. This was stated by MP Sophia Hovsepyan in a conversation with reporters near the Ministry of Defense building.

When asked what constraints the minister has that prevents him from going out to speak with the relatives of the missing and captives, and whether he is afraid, the MP responded that she could not say what the reason is. “I have been here since morning and have not felt any constraints, and I believe the minister should not have any either; it is simply that, perhaps, their approach is such that discussions should be held in small groups,” she said.

Referring to the statement made by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping brigade in Artsakh, Rustam Muradov, regarding the return of captives and that Armenian officials are misleading the public, Sophia Hovsepyan said, “Yesterday I was already aware, I had talked to them directly, and they were surprised that such information is being disseminated that captives should be brought back. In particular, Muradov, who was not aware of this, was surprised as to why this information had come out from the Government's office and had already been conveyed to the parents of the captives through a parliament member. What the intention was, I cannot say.”

As for the situation in Shirak, where the relatives of the captives have blocked the roads, the MP said that the entire Shirak region is currently paralyzed. “The relatives of the captives demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister; they had an agreement since yesterday regarding a meeting today at 4 PM with the Prime Minister, but it seems they are not coming to the meeting and are demanding that the Prime Minister personally go to meet with them. Meanwhile, there will be a meeting with the Director of the NSS, who will try to understand what happened yesterday,” she noted.

According to her, the parents of the captives are approaching the issue of their return quite consciously, and if there hadn't been yesterday's deception or false information that the captives were returning, it is unlikely that roads would be blocked today, according to Hovsepyan.

In response to the remark that the government blames the opposition for not being able to return the captives due to the protests, and in another case blames the relatives of the captives, Hovsepyan replied, “Inactivity interferes with everything; if they work in an organized manner, no one can interfere.”