The 10-member family of the killed soldier Karen Sukiasyan has been living in an apartment of only 59 square meters for years.
Karen, who was killed in a landmine blast while on a combat duty in the border area in 1996, was the third son in the family. He voluntarily went to the border and led the mining works in the area. Mrs. Anik proudly remembers her son Karen who was a brave and fearless boy.
“During the service, they came from the command and asked who wanted to go to the border, the first one was my son who stepped forward. And they took him to the border. The mining ended in five days, but my Karen was killed by a mine just hours before leaving the positions,” the mother told Forrights.
Since 2003, the family has been included in the list of housing conditions improvement of the families of killed servicemen, and is registered as a large family. For more than 10 years, the City Hall has not provided any information to the Sukiasyans in regard with the apartment allocation. She was happy that it should soon be her turn, but the joy did not last.
“I went back in a few months to see more clearly where we stood, and it turned out that my name had been removed from the list. They reasoned that my living space was satisfactory. But neither I nor my family were informed about it,” says Anik Poghosyan.
During the session held at the end of last year, the head of the housing department of the RA Ministry of Defense Harutyunyan sent the statement of the commission in response to the application of the mother of the killed soldier. According to the statement, Anik Poghosyan’s name was removed from the list because the beneficiary presented at the time of registration was not in need of housing conditions improvement. The mother of the soldier received the same letter from the Ministry of Defense as well.
“We are 10 people living in a one-bedroom apartment, barely existing. Where is the justice here, where is my son’s honor?” Mrs. Anik is upset.
By the decision of August 10, 2017, a new order of housing policy for the families of former servicemen and disabled servicemen of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia entitled to military disability pensions was approved, according to which, as a result of some changes, the above-mentioned persons can no longer benefit from the housing improvement program.
Defense Minister David Tonoyan refused to receive the mother of the killed soldier, instead Anik was twice received by Deputy Minister Gabriel Balayan. According to the mother, the deputy minister did not give a clear answer.
“During the reception of me and several other parents of killed soldiers, Balayan did not give any normal explanations, did not give a clear answer to any of us. He even argued with one of the parents; what were I to I say?”
In 2018, 22 years after the death of Karen Sukiasyan, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hands over the title of hero to his mother. Anik Poghosyan was not able to present her problem to the Prime Minister, instead she continues to apply to the relevant bodies and ask for and demand the apartment she was supposed to get.
Azniv Siradeghyan