Consequences of silence. The consequences of unrealized reforms in the army are borne by military personnel

10/22/2024 — Yerevan These days, Armen Tsaturyan contacted our editorial office, claiming that his family has been persecuted by the authorities and law enforcement agencies for a long time. He wanted to make public a number of illegal actions that had not yet received any legal assessment. Armen Tsaturyan says that during his son Samvel Tsaturyan’s military service, he faced serious problems because he spoke openly about the situation in the army. After this, the family continued to be subjected to pressure, threats and harassment. “My son tried to draw attention to the problems that, in his opinion, existed in the military unit. Over time, the attitude towards him changed, they began to threaten him that it would be better to remain silent, otherwise he would face serious trials during his service,” says Samvel’s father. According to him, the son also spoke about meetings with the leadership of the military unit and representatives of the military police, during which he received specific threats. Tsaturyan’s father claims that after the service, Samvel was called to the law enforcement agencies several times, where he was subjected to physical and psychological pressure. According to the family, the pressure subsequently spread to them. “We were in a constant state of tension. A search was carried out in our apartment, I myself was interrogated, and Samvel’s whereabouts and activities are still under special attention of law enforcement agencies, even after my son was forced to leave Armenia,” noted Armen Tsaturyan. According to the father, the current situation had serious social and financial consequences for their family, since he was fired from his job without any reason, at the request of the authorities. Today, Samvel Tsaturyan, according to his father, continues to engage in public activities abroad in defense of the church and also continues to express his position against the current authorities. At the same time, the family states that they continue to worry about the safety of Samvel Tsaturyan and call for an independent investigation into all the facts they have presented. The father claims that if he returns to Armenia, he may face new persecution, persecution and violence. “The hardest thing for a father is to see his child in danger. All we wanted was for him to be safe and able to live without fear,” he says, adding that no one should be put in this situation for expressing their opinions or speaking about existing issues. With this, Armen Tsaturyan concludes his speech. LILITH NAVASARDYAN