Hadrout: Near ‘Vishka’ Mountain, They Left Us and Fled – Testimony of a 44-Day War Participant

Under the presidency of Judge John Hayrapetyan, the case of Ishkhan Vahanian, the commander of a battalion from one of the military units, is being heard today, February 7, as reported by ‘Hraparak’. Present in the courtroom are also the relatives of soldiers who died during the 44-day war.

Ishkhan Armeni Vahanian is accused of committing publicly dangerous acts. He has been the commander of the 5th infantry battalion of the Defense Army since October 9, 2020, holding the rank of major, and as such, he is considered the direct superior of the contract and junior officers of the same battalion. During the state of emergency declared by the government of the Republic of Armenia on September 27, 2020, he actively participated in combat operations on October 10, 2020, around noon, near the mountain Khurhat, and due to personal interest in not risking his own life, exhibited negligence of authority by failing to fulfill his assigned duties according to the internal service regulations and combat statutes of the RA Armed Forces. This negligence led to severe consequences, resulting in the deaths, disappearances, and captures of several soldiers from the 5th infantry battalion, as well as various degrees of bodily injuries.

“Ishkhan Vahanian left us and fled near ‘Vishka’ Mountain in Hadrout. I cannot say in detail where he went, but that is what happened,” witness Mstoyan Mston testified earlier in response to the prosecutor's questions.