General and Colonels in Custody: Kyaramyan on Military Inaction

Investigation into the circumstances of senior military officers’ violations of combat duty protocols on May 12, 2021, in the Gegharkunik region has been revealed. This resulted in the enemy penetrating up to 3.5 km into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia unhindered. This statement was made by the Head of the Investigative Committee, Arghishti Kyaramyan.

He noted that charges have been filed against senior officers holding the ranks of Major General and Colonel, and pretrial detention has been imposed as a measure. The criminal case has been sent to court with an accusatory conclusion.

“Different divisions of the Committee, particularly those under the Military Investigative Main Directorate, continue to investigate instances of aggression carried out using armed forces by the Azerbaijani political and military leadership, particularly on May 12, 2021, in the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions; from November 14 to 16, 2021, regarding Ishkhanasar and Jermuk; and from September 13 to 15, 2022, concerning Jermuk, Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, and other localities,” Kyaramyan stated.

During the investigation, it was substantiated that only during the September aggression, the adversary hit more than 150 civilian objects, including residential houses, schools, vehicles, and civil infrastructure.

As part of the criminal investigations, extensive investigative and procedural actions have been conducted, including the examination of over 100 crime scenes, the interrogation of more than 4,000 witnesses and victims, and the appointment of over 500 expert examinations. Incidents involving offenses against the order of military service during the acts of aggression have also been included in the investigation,” Kyaramyan added.