Serviceman Vahram Avagyan, who died on January 30 in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), was buried in his hometown of Haytagh village today.

Minister of Defense of Armenia Davit Tonoyan attended the funeral.

Earlier today, the soldier’s relatives had brought his coffin to Yerevan as a sign of protest against the version of suicide being circulated. The relatives are certain that the soldier was killed, and they informed Minister Davit Tonoyan during their meeting with him and demanded that the minister reveal the incident and punish those who are guilty. The soldier’s relatives and fellow villagers walked until Argavand intersection in Yerevan where several police officers closed the road.

Since the relatives and fellow villagers weren’t able to move forward, they stayed there for a while until they finally agreed to return to the village and bury the soldier after the defense minister urged them several times.

Davit Tonoyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that there are three servicemen arrested, including the son of former MP Arakel Movsisyan (Shmays).

Vahram was enlisted six months ago and was serving in Artsakh. He died on January 30 at around 1:15 p.m. The Investigative Committee of Armenia declared that the soldier had shot his chest with the AKM type of gun attached to him and had been transferred to a military hospital with firearm injuries, and he was pronounced dead at 2 p.m. The first garrison investigative division has instituted a criminal case in relation to the incident, and preliminary investigation is underway.