Drunken Soldiers Attacked My Aide, Says Governor on Yeghgnadzor Incident

The governor of Vayots Dzor, Tigran Sargsyan, denies reports that he was involved in the September 18 altercation between military officers and his aide in Yeghgnadzor.

"You can definitely rule out my involvement because our home cameras recorded when I came home," Sargsyan told Aysor.am correspondent, addressing the incident in Yeghgnadzor.

He also stated that the soldiers were under the influence of alcohol and intoxicated.

“When my aide was on his way home, he noticed four senior officers who were drunk and having a heated argument. He stopped the car to find out what was happening, and they attacked him. A scuffle broke out; my aide tried to escape, but they pursued him to his apartment on the 3rd floor. During this time, he attempted to defend himself because they were army officers and quite strong. As far as I know, one of them fell, hitting his head on the staircase,” the governor explained.

According to him, the forensic examination will clarify how the officer was injured.

The Investigative Committee reported that the preliminary diagnosis for the officer who received injuries includes "closed severe GSW to the right hemisphere of the brain with moderate laceration, subdural hematoma in the region of the right temporal-parietal and frontal lobes, expressed with lateral dislocation of the temporal tentorium.” An emergency surgery was performed, and his condition is evaluated as extremely severe.

The investigation revealed that during the scuffle, in addition to that officer, two other officers from the same unit sustained bodily injuries.

“A drunken senior officer should not create such a situation; an officer should not pose a danger to any citizen,” emphasized the governor of Vayots Dzor.

In response to calls for his resignation from various circles, Sargsyan stated, "Why should I resign for the behavior of drunken officers? My aide was on his way home and became an involuntary participant. As far as I know, they had arguments in several establishments where they consumed alcoholic beverages. I believe this case should be thoroughly investigated, and all those responsible should be punished.”