0 8000 12 11

On May 4, 2017 while taking part in the investigatory experiment under the criminal case on the death of serviceman Hovhannes Petrosyan at an RA MoD military unit in Azatamut village of Tavush marz (region), Artur Sakunts, Chairman of HCA Vanadzor, noticed a large mass of garbage in the area of the investigatory experiment.

On June 6, 2017 HCA Vanadzor applied to the RA Ministry of Defense and the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development on the issue of cleaning the area from the ​​garbage noting that the garbage in the area significantly complicated and made unpleasant the service and combat duty there.

In his response to the letter of June 26, 2017, M. Hakobyan, Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, “clarifies” that no combat duties are conducted in the area and by saying that “justifies” the fact of not removing the garbage from the area of the military unit.

“It [the area] is located 1.5-2 km away from the front line […] and is not considered an area for combat duty”, M. Hakobyan’s response reads.

True, the place filled with garbage is located at a distance of 1.5-2 km from the front line, but it is through this area that servicemen pass to get to the area of combat duty.

Also, the very fact that the investigatory experiment area is filled with garbage proves that certain actions were taken in the area and in fact there is a movement of soldiers there and the photos suggest that there is a military vehicle parked there as well.

The response of the Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces has no mention of any actions or measures to remove the garbage. But no one finds the movement of servicemen pleasant in the smelliness spread from the garbage in this hot summer weather.

The RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development stated that the area is an “inventoried and certified dump”. According to the Ministry’s assurances, it is planned to abolish it by the end of the year as it is impossible to do it sooner because of its large size.