Scuffle breaks out between relatives of missing servicemen and police  outside MoD

ArmInfo.Today, on September 29, there was a conflict erupted outside the Armenian Ministry of Defense involving relatives of hostages and missing  Armenian servicemen from the 2020 44-day war. They had gathered to  block  the entrance to the  ministry, which led to a scuffle with  military police and Ministry of Internal Affairs officers.

During the scuffle, Arsen Ghukasyan, one of the parents, fell ill,  leading to an ambulance being called to the ministry. Earlier, the  health of Deputy Chief of the Military Police, Artur Mshetyan, also  worsened. The situation at the Ministry of Defense escalated when the  crowd outside the Ministry was informed that Chief of the General  Staff of the Armed Forces Edward Asryan and former Commander of the  Artsakh Defense Army Kamo Vardanyan would not be able to meet with  them. Instead, they were offered a meeting with Deputy Defense  Minister Arman Sargsyan, with only two parents allowed in. This  response did not satisfy the gathered relatives, so they blocked the  entrance to the Ministry. Law enforcement officers tried to clear the  entrance, leading to a verbal dispute that turned physical.  As a  result of the situation, police forces were deployed at the gates of  the Ministry of Defense administrative complex.

As one of the parents, Hovhannes Poghosyan, told reporters, they have  been knocking on the doors of various agencies for five years, but no  one has taken responsibility for addressing the issue  comprehensively. The parents noted that today's protest is their  attempt to demonstrate their existence, their commitment to finding  out the fate of their loved ones, and their continued efforts until  they receive a satisfactory answer. They also stated that the protest  was organized because the responsible authorities have recently  stopped meeting with them and informing them of the specific steps   taken over the past five years to determine the fate of the hostages  and missing service members.

They believe that they are being denied access because the  authorities understand they cannot provide them with a single answer.  "They will continue to avoid meeting with us because they are  inactive," the relatives of the service members noted.  The relatives   stated that if today's protest at the Ministry of Defense fails to  produce any results, they will block numerous roads, causing a  collapse throughout the city.