This is a complex case with many victims, besides the deceased: Serj Tankian on the Khachatryan sisters’ case

Serj Tankian, the lead vocalist of the band System of a Down, has addressed the recent decision by the Russian Investigative Committee to file final charges against the Khachatryan sisters in their father’s murder case on his Facebook page.

“This very tragic case further reveals the failure of the system regarding victims of domestic violence in Russian courts. This is a complex case with many victims, besides the deceased. It is a vivid example of how violence against children and women, left unchallenged for years without justice and judicial prosecution, can lead to brutal retaliatory attacks. Courts need to be lenient towards these girls, given the system’s failures,” Tankian wrote.

It is worth recalling that three sisters—Kristina, Angelina, and Mariam—killed their father in the summer of 2018. The girls claim that their father exhibited cruel behavior and inflicted violence upon them. According to the sisters, Mikhail kept them as personal slaves. A post-mortem psychological evaluation indicated that the family patriarch suffered from mental disorders.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has filed final charges against Angelina, Kristina, and Mariam Khachatryan for the murder of their father, Mikhail Khachatryan, in June 2018.