I would like to see the authorities start revealing the events of 27 October 1999 after closing the case of the events of 1 March 2008. This is what Vazgen Sargsyan’s brother Armen Sargsyan told journalists following a commemorative ceremony held at Yerablour Military Pantheon on the occasion of Vazgen Sargsyan’s 60th birthday on 5 March.

Journalists asked Armen Sargsyan how the Sparapet (Commander-in-Chief) would celebrate his birthday, to which Armen Sargsyan said the following: “Generally speaking, Vazgen Sargsyan didn’t like celebrating his birthday. During the last years of his life, on his birthday, he would exercise and join some of his friends-in-combat and go to Yerablour Military Pantheon where they would tour the area, lay flowers at the tombs of each of the soldiers and friends-in-combat and then sit somewhere and drink toasts to them. In the evening, he would come home because his parents were waiting to see him on his birthday.”

When asked if his parents would urge him to get married and start a family, the Sparapet’s brother recalled the following: “This was a major topic at home, but since this has been said many times and we could see that he would get frustrated, we would try not to touch upon the topic.”