Surik Khachatryan is not going to resign because of scandals involving his family members

Syunik province governor Surik Khachatryan is not going to resign because of the constant scandals involving his family members.

"I do not think I will resign. I am not going to make you happy," he said.    

He also refuted the information that his son Tigran Khachatryan, who is currently in custody because of the incident in Goris, received postponement of military service due to his mental health problems. Surik Khachatryan said that his son Tigran did not join the army because he was involved in the Budaghyan case.  "He was in custody for three months. He was shocked but he had no mental problems," he said.          

According to the media reports, Tigran Khachatryan has been exempted from military service for 3 years due to his mental health problems. Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that Khachatryan was diagnosed with "moderate neurasthenia" and he was exempted from military service by the decision of the military-medical commission, not by the order of the defense minister.       

According to the evidence seized by the Investigative Committee during the inquiry, on May 2 Tigran Khachatryan inflicted grave bodily injuries to Armenian citizen Harutyun Zakaryan in a scuffle that took place near the Sdghi gyol site in the vicinity of Goris.  Harutyun Zakaryan lost his eye. Syunik province governor Suren Khachatryan's brother and nephew have also been arrested despite Khachatryan's statements that his relatives have nothing to do with that incident. This is not the first incident that involves the Syunik governor's relatives. Their names have been mentioned in various criminal scandals including rapes, murders, beatings and kidnappings. Tigran Khachatryan was also targeted in the investigation of the murder of Avetik Budaghyan, however, the case was dismissed in the absence of evidence.