Ten Soldiers Die in the Army from January 1 to February 12; Prosecutor's Strict Directive

According to the "Zhoghovurd" newspaper, while the Prosecutor General of Armenia and the Minister of Defense are summarizing the year 2019 at the Military Prosecutor's Office and noting an 18.5% decrease in crimes in the armed forces, tragic incidents keep following one after another. From January 1 to February 12, ten soldiers have died in the army, and notably, not from enemy fire.

Yesterday, another tragic incident occurred, reportedly involving two conscript soldiers from different units of the Artsakh Defense Army who allegedly committed suicide. It is noteworthy that the soldiers were in trenches, and throughout yesterday, law enforcement worked at the scene to determine whether the soldiers shot themselves or were killed.

According to newspaper reports, law enforcement agencies are investigating both incidents under the suicide theory. Judging by the situation, they are currently only satisfying themselves by punishing and detaining commanders while leaving deeper issues, such as the psychological state of the soldiers or any internal disagreements they may have, to chance, which can lead to fatal outcomes.

At the same time, details have emerged from the meeting between Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan and military prosecutors. Specifically, during a closed discussion, the prosecutor gave a specific directive to reopen the criminal case filed against MP Arakel Movsesyan’s son, which had previously been dismissed.

"Zhoghovurd" had reported that a hotline call was made last year, but it did not receive an appropriate response.

For more details, refer to this morning's edition of the newspaper.