Did an employee at a gas station show the minister a finger? The ministry denies the claim

The Ministry of Defense has denied reports circulating in the media that there was an incident involving Minister Suren Papikyan at a gas station, specifically stating that an employee showed a finger to the minister.

"Such an incident did not occur involving the Minister of Defense. These are false and fabricated reports," said Aram Torosyan, the spokesperson for the Minister of Defense, in an interview with NEWS.am.

According to the publication of the newspaper 'Haykakan Zhamanak', the gas station employee was the son of Defense Ministry Colonel Hrayr Atoyan. Following the incident, the minister issued an order for Atoyan's dismissal.

Aram Torosyan confirmed that Atoyan is no longer employed in the Armed Forces; however, he assured that the colonel was dismissed in 2022 upon his own request for a transition to long-term retirement.

It was noted that according to reports from 'Haykakan Zhamanak', Defense Minister Suren Papikyan encountered an unpleasant situation while traveling to Dilijan weeks ago, where a gas station employee allegedly showed a finger to the minister. Following the minister's instructions, police arrived at the scene and detained the young man. The minister later discovered that the young man's father was Colonel Hrayr Atoyan, who has a combat background and was previously the commander of the Kelbajar military unit. An immediate order was issued for his dismissal, and he was released from the reserves, with Colonel Vigen Simonian appointed in his place. Simonian did not even leave his office during the incidents in May in Jermuk when Azerbaijani forces assaulted soldiers under his command with whips. Conversely, he maintains close ties with the authorities.