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BLACK ARMY: ARMENIAN PUBLIC STRONGLY CONCERNED ABOUT DEATHS IN THE RANKS AND IMPUNITY
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow
09.09.11 | 12:02
In Armenia a new wave of public protests has risen against the
situation in the army where a few non-combat deaths happened within
a space of several weeks. The media and online social networks have
disseminated video footage about killings, driving soldiers mad and
inadequate investigation of incidents in the army.
The first wave of discontent this year rose in winter-spring when some
bloody incidents took place in the army and were reported by media.
The public then demanded the resignation of Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan, but then personnel changes were made - Gevorg Kostanyan was
appointed military prosecutor and he promised to find and punish
those responsible. Quite some time has passed since, but only in
one high-profile case there has been a verdict. Manvel Hazroyan was
found guilty of killing four fellow servicemen and sentenced to life
imprisonment. Journalists argue that Manvel did not act alone and the
investigation covered up officers. The trial in the case of Artak
Nazaryan who died in the Mehrab military unit in the Tavush region
also began. The incitement is driving someone to commit suicide,
although traces of torture were found on the soldier's body and his
relatives insist that he was murdered.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defence state that, compared with
last year, the number of deaths and murders of soldiers in the army
declined.
Despite this, a Soviet-era model of relations in the army aggravated
by the flaws of the current oligarchic system is still functioning
in the army. Recently, representatives of influential human-rights
organizations issued a statement, pointing out that in 2008-2011 alone
as many as 187 people died in the armed forces for different reasons.
Human rights activists say that investigations in connection with
the deaths of soldiers "are carried out mostly with gross violations,
the majority of crimes over years are not disclosed, while murders,
as a rule, are classified as suicides."
Last week representatives of these organizations held a protest at the
Government House. Immediately after that, the military prosecutor for
the first time publicly, in front of cameras, reported about his work.
And on Thursday a protest was held by mothers of victims - "Women
in Black".
According to Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on
Defense, Security and Internal Affairs Hrayr Karapetyan, "a number of
legislative initiatives to amend the laws on the army and army draft
are being prepared". He said they would be presented in parliament
on September 9.
Meanwhile, member of the initiative group of the "Sardarapat" movement,
ex-combatant Alek Yenigomshyan thinks that the mania for enrichment
within ruling elites has also spread to armed forces command, which,
he says, led to corruption and permissiveness resulting in tragic
incidents in the army. Yenigomshyan is convinced that among officers
there are, indeed, a lot of really decent and patriotic people and
believes that they should do everything in order to enhance the
credibility of these people, which will, to some extent, alleviate
the present situation.
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow
09.09.11 | 12:02
In Armenia a new wave of public protests has risen against the
situation in the army where a few non-combat deaths happened within
a space of several weeks. The media and online social networks have
disseminated video footage about killings, driving soldiers mad and
inadequate investigation of incidents in the army.
The first wave of discontent this year rose in winter-spring when some
bloody incidents took place in the army and were reported by media.
The public then demanded the resignation of Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan, but then personnel changes were made - Gevorg Kostanyan was
appointed military prosecutor and he promised to find and punish
those responsible. Quite some time has passed since, but only in
one high-profile case there has been a verdict. Manvel Hazroyan was
found guilty of killing four fellow servicemen and sentenced to life
imprisonment. Journalists argue that Manvel did not act alone and the
investigation covered up officers. The trial in the case of Artak
Nazaryan who died in the Mehrab military unit in the Tavush region
also began. The incitement is driving someone to commit suicide,
although traces of torture were found on the soldier's body and his
relatives insist that he was murdered.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defence state that, compared with
last year, the number of deaths and murders of soldiers in the army
declined.
Despite this, a Soviet-era model of relations in the army aggravated
by the flaws of the current oligarchic system is still functioning
in the army. Recently, representatives of influential human-rights
organizations issued a statement, pointing out that in 2008-2011 alone
as many as 187 people died in the armed forces for different reasons.
Human rights activists say that investigations in connection with
the deaths of soldiers "are carried out mostly with gross violations,
the majority of crimes over years are not disclosed, while murders,
as a rule, are classified as suicides."
Last week representatives of these organizations held a protest at the
Government House. Immediately after that, the military prosecutor for
the first time publicly, in front of cameras, reported about his work.
And on Thursday a protest was held by mothers of victims - "Women
in Black".
According to Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on
Defense, Security and Internal Affairs Hrayr Karapetyan, "a number of
legislative initiatives to amend the laws on the army and army draft
are being prepared". He said they would be presented in parliament
on September 9.
Meanwhile, member of the initiative group of the "Sardarapat" movement,
ex-combatant Alek Yenigomshyan thinks that the mania for enrichment
within ruling elites has also spread to armed forces command, which,
he says, led to corruption and permissiveness resulting in tragic
incidents in the army. Yenigomshyan is convinced that among officers
there are, indeed, a lot of really decent and patriotic people and
believes that they should do everything in order to enhance the
credibility of these people, which will, to some extent, alleviate
the present situation.