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On July 23, 2017, in the evening, the RA Ministry of Defense shared information stating that on July 23, 2017, at about 6:30 am, in the area near the RA MoD military unit № N, the body of junior sergeant, conscript soldier Vardan Melkonyan /father’s name: Artavazd/ who voluntarily left the unit, was found hung (born in 1998, Vanadzor Military Registration and Enrollment Office). To establish the circumstances of the case, investigation is in progress.

According to the information spread by the RA Investigative Committee, on July 24 the 4th Garrison Investigative Division initiated criminal proceedings under Article 110(1) of the RA Criminal Code, drafted an investigation plan and takes other necessary investigative and procedural actions to establish the circumstances of the serviceman’s death and assigned forensic examination.

HCA Vanadzor contacted the serviceman’s family to make clear the information on his death circumstances.

According to the information provided by a family member, Vardan Melkonyan had served at ‘Nubarashen’ military unit for 1 year and 2 months and had no complaints during his service, he had quite easy temper. During that time, he came home for leave 3 times and the family never noticed any dissatisfaction.

According to a family member, Vardan talked on phone to his mother every evening. On July 22, 2017 the day before the incident, he got a one-day leave and went with his friends for a walk in Yerevan. On that day, as usual, he called his mother. His sister answered the phone and said that their mother would call him a little later. In the evening, at about 11 pm and 12 am, his mother called him, but he did not answer. Shortly after, he called back, his mother asked why he was not sleeping at that late time and he said that it was too hot and he could not sleep. He talked to his mother and sister till around 12.40 am and then told them that he was going to bed and the following day would go to church to light a candle. Then Vardan called a friend from Vanadzor and asked him to give him 20.000 AMD. In answer to his friend’s question why he needed the money, Vardan said that he wanted to leave for Vanadzor. His friend said that at the moment he did not have such amount at hand, but he would give him the necessary amount as he came to Vanadzor. Shortly after, his friend called back to find out his purpose of coming to Vanadzor but could not contact him. In the morning, Vardan was found hung on his belt from the tree near the church in the area adjacent to the military unit.

The family member also told the Organization staff members that they were present at the examination of the body and noticed no traces of violence, except for some scratches on his arms.

The family do not believe that Vardan might have committed suicide as he had no personal or other reasons to do so and they do not consider it possible that he might get hung by his belt from the tree. They have concerns that the guy was killed by hanging or first killed and then hung from the tree.

The only doubt concerns Vardan’s conversation with a serviceman that became known to his family and might have caused such a situation. According to the family, whatever happened, happened within the military unit and there was no external factor in place.

Later, some information became known that the investigative actions resulted in factual data that on July 22, 2017, at around 11:30 pm, the junior sergeant suffered violence by a fellow serviceman at the household service room of the division of the RA MoD Military unit N.

The fellow serviceman was detained on suspicion of committing an action under Article 358(1) of the RA Criminal Code.