YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan is very sorry for the death of military physician Vahe Avetyan, who lost his life as a result being beaten at a capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar Restaurant belonging to MP Ruben Hayrapetyan. The Minister himself expressed this during a press conference on Tuesday.   

“The incident is tragic. I heard about it in Kazan [, Russia,] on a business trip, and, to be honest, I became angry. [But] There was no need to politicize this incident; this could have occurred to all of us,” said Ashotyan.   

He is confident that, after conducting a proper investigation, the law enforcement agencies will punish the guilty with the ultimate gravity of the law.   

And in response to Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter’s query as to his assessment of the calls to boycott Harsnaqar, Armen Ashotyan specifically said:

“I have an impression that some remorseful were impatiently waiting for Vahe to die, so they could raise uproar. Perhaps I am being very cynical. I had an impression that some people rather wished for this tragedy to end in a death instead of a recovery. I know I will be criticized for these words, but I am used to saying the right thing and looking you straight in the eye,” stated the Education and Science Minister.      

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an incident occurred at capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar Restaurant on June 17, where several military doctors including Edgar Mikoyan, Arkadi Aghajanyan, Garik Soghomonyan, Artak Bayadyan and Vahe Avetyan were brutally beaten by the restaurant employees.

And Vahe Avetyan died in hospital on June 29.

A criminal case is launched, and the Police have detained six people.

The Restaurant’s owner is senior ruling party MP, Football Federation of Armenia President, and businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan.