The period of fiascos in the life of 35-year-old ex-serviceman Davit Hakobyan began during his service in the army and continue up to day. Ten years after his military service, the young man tries to recover his health, but he meets the resistance of the state.
Davit’s military service was completed in 2006-2008, after which he joined the Peacekeeping Forces as a contract soldier. During his service he received various awards and carried out special assignments. It all started right there, in the Peacekeeping Troops, in 2012, when one day he was transferred to the RA Ministry of Defense’s Central Military Hospital with severe abdominal pain. Here, medical care was provided to him only after 25 hours. In connection with the spread of duodenal ulcer and peritonitis, a surgery was performed.
After this operation, David had postoperative complications caused by early intestinal obstruction, as a result of which he underwent another operation. A few days later, David developed an acute cerebral blood circulation disorder, an ischemic stroke with left-sided hemiparesis. After all this, according to the results of an examination, David was recognized as unfit for military service.
Due to the improper treatment and professional negligence, David had memory loss for a long time. “They didn’t provide me with serious, professional treatment here, as a result of which I can’t walk now, one side of me is completely weak, ossification is going on,” Davit said in a conversation with Forrights.am.
Based on the results of the service examination conducted by the order of the head of the RA Armed Forces Military Medical Department regarding the deficiencies and omissions made during David’s treatment, the operating doctor G. Tunyan was only given a severe reprimand and that was it.
“Because of the mistake they made, all the Defense Ministers, starting with Seyran Ohanyan, promised to send me to Germany for treatment, but they did not fulfill their promises. Even Nikol Pashinyan listened to my problem in the Soldiers’ House, in the presence of everyone he promised to send me to Germany for treatment, but he did nothing. This is how people have promised and lied to me for years, depriving me of everything — health, life, chances,” he says.
The 35-year-old man now has a disability of the 1st degree. He sold his house in Yerevan to cover the expenses related to his treatment. During this time, he lost his father. He lives with his 69-year-old ill-health mother in Mayisyan village of Armavir region. The combined amount they receive consists of their pensions: a total of 130 thousand drams [about $325].
Fake alarms to attract state’s attention
In the conditions of indifference by the Ministry of Defense and the state in general, and in order to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to his problem, finding no other way out, out of hopelessness, Davit several times has risen fake alarms to the law enforcement agencies about the placement of a bomb in the Ministry of Defense and the US Embassy. In 2014, a disabled young man of the first degree was sentenced to 1.6 years in prison for making a false alarm about terrorism. And when there were 2 months left until the end of his sentence, former RA President Serzh Sargsyan pardoned him through the mediation of former Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan.
“People didn’t do anything, and I had to raise the alarm. I tried to attract attention with this step.”
After the political events that took place in 2018 [the coup], Davit obtained hopes, and, at the beginning of 2019, he announced a hunger strike for several days in front of the Ministry of Defense. As a result, the Ministry of Defense promised to support a trip to Germany for treatment, but never fulfills the promise. Instead, the law enforcement officers brought another charge against David, accusing him of having filed a false alarm about a bomb on June 21, 2018.
“This criminal case, the investigator’s actions are a disgrace: there is no evidence, there is no fact, but they have initiated a criminal case,” Davit’s lawyer Murad Asryan told Forrights.am, insisting that they will strive to achieve an acquittal.
The court of general jurisdiction of Armavir region has been examining this accusation for 5 years, but no verdict has been made so far. We learn from the court information system that at first the case was in the proceedings of judge Vahe Khalatyan, then it was transferred to the proceedings of judge Hrachya Mekhakyan.
The preventive measure not to leave the country was chosen: Davit says that his passport has been with the law enforcement agencies for five years, so it is not possible for him to go abroad for treatment.
“I am a hostage, I am a captive in a state, for which I have done very serious things: I have given my life to the state. Now I have one goal: to get to Germany, to get treatment,” says the young man.
Hasmik Hambardzumyan
