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Wednesday 28 July 2010

“Suicide”... or evidence of abuse and ill-treatment in the Armenian army?

This morning many Armenian users of Facebook (myself including) were shocked (read also here) by learning of yet another "suicide" in the army. Artak Nazaryan, contract service officer/commander in Armenia’s Tavush region, brother of local journalist Tsovinar (currently studying in the US), died of what the Ministry of Defense wants us to believe a “suicide”. A Facebook group was set up demanding the truth to this story Չի´ կարելի լռել.

It was shocking... not because it was the first such incident. There has been quite a few similar cases over the past years (and not only in the army), and relatives of those died regularly protest in front of the government building demanding justice for what they believe a cover-up of abuse and ill treatment in the Armenian army.

It was shocking... not only because he was a brother of journalist, friend of many Facebook users, although this fact certainly added a very personal touch to the tragedy.

It was shocking... because IT IS SHOCKING. Any single “suicide” case in the army is shocking.

Mother and relatives mentioned of “tensions” they lately noticed and that Artak did not fit in.

“Mom, I want to be a different commander for soldiers. I do not want to be like them”. He was considered a “weak commander” because “he did not beat up soldiers”.

Reports (via Lragir, + picture above) indicate on traces of physical violence found during the autopsy. Reports suggest they were left six hours before Artak Nazaryan’s death. The Ministry of Defense officials did not offer immediate condolences. Instead, they were quick to present this case as a “suicide” which reminds a very recent similar attempt by the Armenia police chief. (+ Forced suicide is a murder)

How long this culture of abuse and ill-treatment will continue in the Armenian army?

Below are few similarly shocking cases of “suicide” in the Armenian army from the archives of Helsinki Association (2007 reports, Armenia and Karabakh). Apparently, nothing much has since changed.

This should be a wake-up call for Armenia Defense Minister and the authorities to clean up this horrific and disgraceful state of affairs still prevalent in the army. In fact, they should have acted yesterday. Time is running out.

[language below as in original]
***
Investigator to the case – It’s a murder for 99 percent


On 07 July 2007 Hovhannes Meltonyan, a soldier performing his compulsory military service in No. 27229 military unit of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, was killed. According to an official version, unable to endure beatings and scoffing by his co-servicemen, he entered the armory-room of the company shot himself by the machine-gun assigned to him.

However, both the parents of H. Meltonyan and his representatives claim that the official version is false and groundless. Both the facts and the reliable statements made by the injured party show that H. Meltonyan was killed by three co-servicemen. This is stated orally by prosecutors belonging to military prosecutor office, who, still insist on the version they find suitable – SUICIDE. According to the medical examiner’s report, traces of beatings and torture were found on the body of the deceased. Seven days after the incident, the father of the killed solider went to the prosecution office and evidenced as soldiers who were witnesses to the case of his son’s death, were tortured and intimidated. This allows us to come to a conclusion that the investigation needs “good evidence” to this case.

Discontinue or not?


On 10 August 2005 at 06:45 the corpse of Private Robert Hovhannisyan, an Armenian national, was found in one of the military posts of the artillery battalion belonging to the No. 36534 military unit of the Defense Ministry of Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), with firearm wound in the head. According to the medical examiner’s report, the corpse bore many traces of torture. A. Krkyasharyan, an investigator to the case, brought charges against several persons by adopting the version of suicide. However, unable to reason his false approach to the incident, he suspended the case due to the impossibility to find those who committed the crime.

It is clear that the investigator is not willing to uncover the murder. In April 2007 the injured party applied to Prosecutor General of Armenia with a request to consult with the case-file. Right after the request was submitted, the military prosecutor cancelled the suspension order and remitted the case to an additional investigation. The injured party filed a challenge against the investigator in charge of the case and the other day received quite an unexpected reply – the case has been suspended once more.

Suicide is the only way out

According to the papers presented by the prosecution office, on 07 July 2007 at 6:30 a.m. Garik Mikayelyan, an Armenian national, who was performing compulsory military service as Liaison Platoon Commander at No.75937 military unit located in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, suffered a power shock from a power supply station located in the military unit. He received third-degree burns of the upper extremities and as a result had both his arms amputated. A criminal case No. 90603507 was opened into the incident led by investigator Gnel Manukyan.

From the information that we possess and the statements made by G. Mikayelyan it can be drawn that the attempted suicide was prompted by a number of senior military officers of the military unit, who had regularly beaten, abused and demeaned the soldier. Some time after the incident they kept G. Mikayelyan in the military unit without medical aid hoping that he would die and never tell the truth. Besides these facts, it becomes evident from the way the investigation is carried out that the investigation is not concerned to conduct an impartial investigation and to find those guilty.

Private Arsen Simonyan commited suicide by shooting himself 8 times


Arsen Simonyan, an Armenian national who was performing his military service in N.36534 military unit of the Defense Ministry of Armenia (Republic of Nagorno Karabakh) died on 7 July 2005. Officials state that he committed suicide. Investigation says A. Simonyan’s “suicide” was prompted by constant abuses he was subjected to by his co-servicemen, namely Junior Sergeant M. Mkhitaryan and Sergeant G. Barseghyan.

Eight cartridge cases were found in the area where the incident took place. Both witnesses and accused alleged during the trial that the prosecution investigators obtained evidence under torture. Soldiers that happened to serve with the late A. Simonyan in the same military platoon were taken to the Military Prosecution Office of Hadrut Region of Nagorno Karabakh Republic where they were kept for 20 days. During that time the investigation was “getting” necessary evidence from them in the presence of G. Mailyan, Commander of the battalion they all belonged to.

7 comments:

artmika said...

New tragic incident. Armenia MoD reported today on mysterious incident happened 28 July 2010, with the use of firearms and casualties in unnamed military unit. No further details provided.

However, shortly after official MoD report, A1+ provided few details of the incident: soldier killed commander + 3 others after reportedly being ill-treated by the commander, including physical violence.He then killed himself. Same underlying reason of endemic violence in the army.

"«Ա1+»-ի ունեցած տեղեկություններով, միջադեպը տեղի է ունեցել հայ-ադրբեջանական շփման գծում: Դիվիզիոնի հրամանատարը, գիշերը նկատելով զինծառայողի կողմից կարգապահական խախտում, զայրացել է, վիրավորել զինվորին, ծեծի ենթարկել, նվաստացրել, ինչից վրդովված, զինծառայողը իրեն պատկանող զենքով սպանել է հրամանատարին եւ նրա հետ գտնվող 3 հոգուն, ապա ինքնասպան եղել:"

artmika said...

Details of this latest incident are not clear, lots of rumours and no proper information. Reports indicate total number of killed 5 or 6. However, number of killed is not confirmed yet.

This soldier's name is Vardges, 28 yrs old. He was survived by wife and 3 children, the youngest is 1 yrs old, and he is my friend and fellow blogger Shushan's close neighbour.

Here is Shushan's immediate reaction to the news (AM):

Բոլորի համար` միջադեպ բանակում… Իսկ Վարդգեսը 28 տարեկան էր, 3 երեխաներից ամենափոքրը` 1 տարեկան

artmika said...

RFE/RL: Armenian army rocked by deadly shootings

artmika said...

Armenia: Quote of the Day (AM)

artmika said...

Armenia MoD published names of 6 servicemen who were killed during the incident on 28 July 2010. They did not provide with any further details.

Հուլիսի 28-ին զինված ուժերի զորամասերից մեկում մարտական հերթապահության կանոնների կոպիտ խախտման հետևանքով ծագած միջադեպի պատճառով զոհվել են ավագ լեյտենանտ Վարդգես Արարատի Թադևոսյանը (Երևան) և ժամկետային զինծառայողներ Գարեգին Սամվելի Հովսեփյանը (Էջմիածին), Անդրանիկ Սարգսի Սարգսյանը (Երևան), Ռոբերտ Միքայելի Հովհաննիսյանը (Վանաձոր), Արտյոմ Սուրենի Մանասյանը (Չարենցավան), Կարո Շուրիկի Այվազյանը (Երևան):

ՀՀ պաշտպանության նախարարությունը խորապես ցավակցում է զոհվածների հարազատներին և մերձավորներին և հավաստիացնում, որ ձեռնարկվում են անհրաժեշտ բոլոր միջոցառումները՝ միջադեպի պատճառները բացահայտելու և մեղավորներին օրենքով նախատեսված կարգով պատասխանատվության ենթարկելու համար:

However, prominent human rights activist Sakunts provided with a version of events which is slightly different to that presented earlier. Sankunts now claims that not the soldier who was allegedly physically and psycologically abused but his friend who witnessed it, did those killings and then shot himself.

Սաքունցը դեպքի առնչությամբ որոշ մանրամասներ հայտնեց։ Ըստ այդմ՝ զոհվել է 6 մարդ։ Ժամկետային զինծառայողը, որը պարզվել է՝ երևանաբնակ Կարո Այվազյանն է, վրեժ է լուծել իր ընկերոջը վիրավորողներից։ Նրա ընկերը քնած է եղել պահակակետում, ինչը նկատել են պահակակետ եկած սերժանտն ու լեյտենանտը և սկսել զինվորին վիրավորել։ Կարո Այվազյանը, տեսնելով այս ամենը, կրակ է բացել և սպանել լեյտենանտին ու սպային։ Նկատելով, որ դեպի իր կողմ են գալիս նաև 3 զինծառայողներ՝ նա սպանել է նաև վերջիններիս, այնուհետև ինքնասպան եղել։

As far as I understand from above reports, Vardges who I mentioned in my earlier comments was not a soldier but an officer who allegedly abused the soldier and was shot.

Anyway, the circumstances of this story are not clear yet.

artmika said...

Here we are. A very different "suicide" story emerging now, more believable to what might have happened in reality, not least due to outcry of Armenian online activists following the initial official version of events. MoD now reports : 1 officer and 3 soldiers detained on suspicion of physical and psychological violence towards contract officer Artak Nazaryan, "leading to his suicide".


Թիվ 21127 զորամասի զինծառայող, լեյտենանտ Արտակ Սինարի Նազարյանին ինքնասպանության հասցնելու փաստի առթիվ ՀՀ ՊՆ քննչական ծառայության վեցերորդ կայազորային քննչական բաժնում ՀՀ քրեական օրենսգրքի 110 հոդվածի 1-ին մասով հարուցված քրեական գործի շրջանակներում ՀՀ քրեական օրենսգրքի 375 հոդվածի 2-րդ մասով նախատեսված հանցագործության կատարման կասկածանքով ձերբակալվել է թիվ 21127 զորամասի 1-ին գումարտակի ԱՀՏԱ գծով տեղակալ, կապիտան Հակոբ Խորենի Մանուկյանը` պաշտոնական լիազորությունների սահմանն անցնելով Ա. Նազարյանին ծեծի ենթարկելու, նրա պատիվն ու արժանապատվությունը նվաստացնելու համար:

Նույն գործի շրջանակներում ՀՀ քրեական օրենսգրքի 358 հոդվածի 2-րդ մասի 3-րդ կետով նախատեսված հանցագործության կատարման կասկածանքով ձերբակալվել են թիվ 21127 զորամասի պարտադիր ժամկետային զինծառայողներ, շարքայիններ Մխիթար Մանվելի Մխիթարյանը, Ադիբեկ Հրաչյայի Հովհաննիսյանը և Հարութիկ Կիրակոսի Կիրակոսյանը` Ա. Նազարյանի նկատմամբ բռնություն գործադրելու, նրա պատիվն ու արժանապատվությունը նվաստացնելու համար:

Քրեական գործի քննությունը շարունակվում է: Այս մասին հայտնում է ՀՀ ՊՆ-ն։

artmika said...

'Suicide soldier' (graffiti in Yerevan)