Opposition political forces express bewilderment over Suren  Papikyan`s statement

ArmInfo.Representatives of opposition political forces have expressed bewilderment over the statement made by Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan on the evening of May 20 regarding why the male members of the family of businessman and leader of the "Strong Armenia" party, Samvel  Karapetyan, were not killed during the large-scale war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh.

It should be noted that Suren Papikyan, during a pre-election rally  in Vanadzor, noted that Samvel Karapetyan's family consists of six  adult men and expressed outrage that none of them were wounded or  killed in the war. However, Papikyan, who was sentenced to prison for  stabbing an officer while serving in the army, did not specify where  he himself was during this war.

Reacting to the Defense Minister's statements, Kristine Vardanyan, a  member of the Armenian parliament from the opposition "Armenia"  faction, stated that the authorities' sole dissatisfaction stems from  the fact that the Armenian people were not wiped off the face of the  earth. "Now they're complaining about how many people weren't killed  or wounded in the war. It's very difficult for us, of course, to  restrain ourselves from asking: Suren Papikyan, were you killed or  wounded in this war? And the people standing behind you at the  podium, your boss (Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan), were  wounded or killed in the war unleashed against Armenia and Artsakh,  and now you're coming here and complaining about others? It's  certainly difficult to restrain ourselves from asking this question,  but the difference between us and you is that we wouldn't want a  single Armenian, even one like you, to die or be wounded in any war,"  Vardanyan said in a Facebook broadcast. She also questioned the  adequacy of the ruling Civil Contract party and Defense Minister  Suren Papikyan.

Samvel Karapetyan's nephew, Narek Karapetyan, also responded to these  statements as the Armenian Defense Minister's question was also  addressed to him. Narek Karapetyan noted that it's difficult to call  someone who holds the post of Minister of Defense of Armenia the head  of the defense ministry.  "Yesterday, Suren Papikyan asked why my  brothers and I didn't die in the war. A couple of days ago, Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a similar statement, asking why the  people of Artsakh didn't die in the war.  They only talk about death  and bring only death. These people (the Armenian authorities - ed.)  don't even go and pay their respects to the sons of the Armenian  people who laid down their lives for their homeland and shed their  blood when they visit Armenian communities. When the parents of our  fallen heroes try to question them at the Yerablur military pantheon,  they are drawn into brawls. They bring blood to our country, as  evidenced by thousands of victims," noted the member of the "Strong  Armenia" political council. Karapetyan added that the platform from  which Papikyan yesterday asked why the men of Karapetyan's family  didn't die in the war is located 500 meters from the largest  maternity hospital, which his uncle, Samvel Karapetyan, had built and  donated to the community. "We talk about life, about birth rates,  about agriculture. And they talk about death, which is why death has  haunted the Armenian world since the first day they came to power.  After we see them off, Yerablur will no longer expand, our parks will  grow, and our compatriots will not be forced to leave Armenia,"  Karapetyan concluded.