War veterans to spend night at Liberty Square
50 000 roubles...
Karabakh war veteran Samvel Simonyan paid the sum to the state during the years of the war to buy weapons.
The veteran had saved the money for 30 years to reconstruct his house after the war. He agreed to give the money to the state on condition that he would be paid back after the war.
"Today I am turning to Serzh Sargsyan. All documents are inscribed in the name of "Koval" - Kovalenko Shahgeldyan, Governor of Kotayk province - who continues to tell me that I need not have gone to the front," says the indignant veteran.
Simonyan together with a group of fellow veterans spent the night at Liberty Square. They have declared a three-day sit-in at the square demanding improvement of social conditions for themselves and their comrades.
On the second day of the protest, the group has been visited by Colonel Harutyunyan, a senior representative of the Defense Ministry.
"He said ‘everything would be all right, the government was seriously engaged in the issue.' Now we are waiting for them to keep their pledge," said Volodya Avetisyan.
Offended by the indifference of the government, the freedom fighters say the Cabinet officials are dealing with secondary issues, such as buying bio-toilets.
"Instead of paying $144 000 to buy a bio-toilet they could house 144 freedom fighters who are selling their houses at $ 10 000. They have spent $ 60 mln to build a church but they seem to have forgotten that their sins have reached God and even millions of churches cannot save them from doomsday," added Khachatur Khachatryan.
The disabled veterans say the government did not provide them with free medicines except Analgin.
The freedom fighters will march tomorrow to the government building to get an answer to their concerns.
