Members of the family of 18-year-old conscript Hayk Khachatryan, who served only six months in the army and died of chickenpox disease complication two weeks ago have vowed to avenge his death by seeking punishment of army officers who the family says are responsible.

Khachatryan, resident of Spandaryan village in Shirak province, died on December 30, in Nork Infection Hospital in Yerevan. The details of his death were passed to mass media by the soldier’s grandmother Aida Avagyan.

“During my grandson’s funeral one of the soldiers told us that Hayk was forced to run when he had high temperature and was sent to keep guard when tears ran down his face. Of course, they deny everything,” Avagyan says.

Movses Khachatryan, father of the soldier, who on December 29 was in the hospital with his son, says that till the end doctors could not understand what problem his son had, and his son was taken to Nork Infection Hospital only after the father insisted on it (Hayk died in the hospital).

“In the beginning they [doctors] said that the problem is in his appendix, then something else. My son was killed, as if my child was a Kinder [Egg] toy for them. They opened [him], and only then they understood what to diagnose,” Hayks father says.

The representatives of the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia told ArmeniaNow that it is not known yet when the results of the forensic medicine examination will be ready, and only based on them it will be possible to find those who are responsible for Khachatryan’s death.

Nevertheless, members of Khachatryan’s family do not believe that the examination will bring any result, and his father is planning to appeal to international institutions.

Movses Khachatryan, a 20-year police officer, has submitted his resignation to the police force. “I have served 20 years for this country, and this is how they pay me back.”