The Investigative Committee Provides Details of Meeting with Relatives of Fallen Soldiers

In light of the ongoing coverage in various mass media and online platforms regarding the meeting held at the Investigative Committee of Armenia with the parents and relatives of fallen soldiers from the 2020 Artsakh war, accompanied by inaccurate comments, the Investigative Committee finds it necessary to officially clarify the following:

The meeting, which took place on May 20, 2022, was initiated and convened by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, and was attended by lawyers, the investigator handling the criminal case, the head of the unit, and the deputy chairman coordinating the sector. The meeting, which involved more than forty parents and relatives, started with the opening remarks from the Chairman of the Investigative Committee and was followed by a Q&A session, which was interrupted by a strong reaction from one of the parents, followed by a provocation from a family member. Following this incident, the Chairman sought to clarify the motives of the individual who clearly provoked the created tension.

At no point during the meeting were there any scuffles or insults, as recorded by the security cameras in the hall. It is important to note that the situation was quickly diffused, and the meeting continued, lasting almost three hours in total. Recording was forbidden during the meeting, as the relevant criminal case is still in the preliminary investigation stage, and the discussions would necessarily involve certain details concerning the 2020 Artsakh war, which are of a preliminary investigatory secret nature.

Despite all this, we find it necessary to inform you that the various interpretations and descriptions regarding this meeting are unfounded and artificial. With all due respect to all the Armenian sons who sacrificed their lives for the defense of the homeland and their parents, we urge that this meeting and the developments that took place during it should not become subjects of undue speculation.

It is worth recalling that the agenda of the meeting included questions about why the investigative committee's investigators are not conducting investigative actions or interrogating Nikol Pashinyan when there is a directive from the prosecutor on this matter. After hours of discussions, the parents stated that Chairman Kyaramyan assured them that an investigation of the case would be carried out in the shortest timeframe possible, but the parents of the fallen soldiers were interested in what specific timeframes were being discussed.