Arsen Torosyan Told Parents to Be Grateful for Bringing Back 5 Captives: Parent of Missing Soldier

The situation at Republic Square is tense at the moment, as the parents of missing servicemen have blocked the Tigran Mets - Republic Square road. The parents have met with one of the government representatives but state that they did not receive any satisfactory answers.

Parent Arsen Ghukasyan mentioned that they met with the head of staff, Arsen Torosyan, who allegedly told the parents, "Be grateful that we brought back five captives." He added, "He said, be grateful that we brought back 5 captives. Being grateful is a form of appreciation; we went to get wine, chocolates, and flowers to give to him as a token of our gratitude. He did not show up for us to deliver the gift. I have no expectations from this government," he said.

In response to the incident, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Arsen Torosyan, stated that his words have been misinterpreted. He specifically wrote:

“Dear relatives of our missing and captured brothers, I regret that my words after the meeting with the relatives of the captives and missing soldiers have become a subject of misinterpretation. I would like to reiterate what I said during the meeting with the relatives and ask everyone to refrain from manipulative statements on sensitive topics. In response to the claim made during the meeting that no work is being done to return the captives, I replied that the government is actively working every day to bring their loved ones back to the homeland, and as an example of that work, I mentioned the return of our 5 brothers to Armenia a few days ago. I have asked and I ask once again to be patient. All relevant bodies are doing everything possible.”