Parents don't believe their son could have committed suicide
Fourteen days have passed since the death of serviceman Tigran Hambardzumyan, but no one has been arrested. Tigran's parents are convinced that everyone in the small military unit knows the real story of his death but no one speaks out.
The incident happened on June 28, 2011. The same day Tigran called home at 12 o'clock, talked as usual, asked to top up his mobile telephone. After some time, there was a call from the military unit telling the parents that their son had run away.
On June 29, when the parents raised a clamor, in 15 minutes they were called from the military unit and informed that Tigran was found dead 50 meters away from the unit with his hands on the ground and his head on his hands, with one hand cut. They said some beast devoured the body, that is why they did not allow the parents to approach the body and delivered it in closed condition.
A criminal action was brought by part 1 of article 110 of the Criminal Code - causing somebody to commit suicide or make an attempt of suicide by indirect willfulness or by negligence; however, until today the data of forensic medical expertise are not clear, the guilty are not known.
Tigran Hambardzumyan was conscripted 1.5 years ago from Ararat province. He had studied for 2 years at the correspondence department of the Faculty of International Relations of the Yerevan State University. He was to be demobilized in a few months and continue his studies.
None of the residents of the Ararat province Norabats village who knew Tigran, believes in his suicide.
"No one can prove to me that my son committed suicide. If we only knew who did it. How can I know who killed my son and what for?", says Benik Hambardzumyan, Tigran's father.
Tigran's mother, Anahit, says she spoke to her son on the day of the incident - June 28. Tigran was in a very good mood. "I can't understand, what has changed in 2 hours that he decided to commit suicide?"
Tigran's friends, who are mostly 3-4 years older than he, also insist that their friend was a very balanced person.
"Every time he called he would address me with his typical mam jan (dear mom). He used to say: I'll come home, together with Arthur (older brother) we'll support dad, in a couple of months we'll marry Arthur, in two years I'll get married, everything will be fine", Tigran's mother remembers with tears in her eyes.
On the whole Tigran did not complain about the army life, he asked to send some literature on his specialization. He said a couple of times that he was in strained relations with chief of staff Arsen Voskanyan.
"I saw Voskanyan only for some 15 minutes, he always avoided us. The father has not met him at all", Anahit says.
On the day of Tigran's death the unit battalion commander was away on a mission and his responsibilities were put namely on chief of staff Arsen Voskanyan.
The investigation service of the Ministry of Defense continues investigation of the case.
Karine Ionesyan
www.hra.am
