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We congratulate the RA citizens and their families on the Army Day, who serve in the Armed Forces and at the expense of arduous sacrifices protect our country’s independence and borders. We wish them peace, safe military service and welcome back home.

On the occasion of the Army’s anniversary, by wrapping up the previous year, we once again record that the army administration does not at all display a political will to apply amendments ensuring servicemen’s safe and dignified service in non-combat conditions.

Furthermore, a significant regress was recorded during the previous year. If at the beginning of 2013, the Minister of Defense promised to refrain from justifications of “the army is the society’s mirror”, “armies in other countries are not either in a better state”, but at the beginning of 2014, the Minister retreats to his old positions, declaring a struggle against “naughty” boys, instead of directing those efforts to the elimination of criminal “naughtiness” effective under his jurisdiction.

If back last year the National Assembly held comprehensive and necessary sessions regarding the activities of the armed forces, then the same National Assembly confirmed Military Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan in the position of the RA Prosecutor General under whose office numerous crimes and criminals in the armed forces were concealed at the expense of subjecting the witnesses to violence and pressures, lies and fraud as well as the health of families seeking justice.  With his “light hand” the murders were qualified as suicides or accidents, instead of real perpetrators, people, who did not have any connection with the crime, or were not the main actors, were imprisoned based on false charges. With his direct intervention Mayor Surik Khachatryan and his son appeared in liberty, while Kostanyan did not hesitate to hand over Colonel Artak Budaghyan, who had lost a brother in a skirmish near their house.

Due to the activities of the Military Prosecutor’s Office (as well as the RA Investigative Service and Military Police adjacent to it) the conviction of impunity is reinforced in the army and therefore, criminality thrives. Unfortunately, instead of a comprehensive and full investigation the RA judicial instances approve of false accusations brought in by Military Prosecutor’s Office which was ongoing last year.

If in 2013 31 death cases were recorded, now January 2014 has not yet finished but the Armenian Army has already given 3 victims, 1 of which was due to Azerbaijani aggression and the remaining 2 due to health issues. A new tendency to blame the deaths and health issues of draftees on fulminantly attacking illnesses is observed. Whereas, during the call-up there were many reports that draftees were for long hours waited outside in cold weather and that their health aggravation was being neglected by “simulation” accusations, no proper medical care was provided and concerning data on subjecting soldiers undergoing treatment to violence were also received.  Moreover, according to the Defense Minister’s conviction, it is by his order that even sick soldiers are being conscripted first to hospital and then to service, therefore, the Minister bears immediate responsibility for the health of the solders.

The unresolved social issues of former servicemen and freedom fighters took them out to the street for a long-lasting hunger-strike. Instead of seeking ways of resolving the issues, the authorities attempted to silence the voice of the protest by arresting Volodya Avetisyan. Other freedom fighters were also imprisoned, who voiced their protest for the sake of the RA sovereignty and against Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union. It creates a negative impression on the prospects of remuneration issued for military service.

We consider the working style of the authorities in the army as inacceptable, which becomes fatal for many servicemen. I believe that the radical reforms are extremely urgent and require drastic staff changes, and new radical approaches taking into account the recommendations and opinions of independent experts and civil society.

“Army in reality” civic initiative

28.01.2014