Military police severely beat soldier
Armenian youth initiative "No Silence" has issued a statement, expressing its concerns over misconduct against soldiers.
"Several soldiers were taken to the military police department of the Yerevan garrison on March 14 where they were brutally beaten because of an altercation that took place a month ago," said the initiative.
The group claims that R. Nersisyan, head of the military police department of the Yerevan garrison, H. Vopanyan, head of the criminal investigative unit and A. AVagyan, investigator of the investigative unit were involved in the scuffle.
"One of the soldiers, Arsen, who suffered more than the others (he received facial injuries), was taken back to the military unit after being beaten. He was later granted a leave and ordered not tell anyone about the incident.
"What causes an utmost disgust is the behavour of the commander who, in order not to spoil his relatiosn witrh the military police, agreed to eter into a dirty deal, by receiving the beaten soldier and sending him home on vacation."
"It is due to mention that Arsen is now a witness to the scuffle case which happened last month," said the group.
No Silence further says that bullying soldiers has become a usual practice in the Armenian army, especially in the military units of Nagorno-Karabakh where servicemen do not have ‘influential' kinsfolk.
"And if the military officials at the general staff fail to change something, they should admit they cannot control the situation in the ranks," said the group.
According to our verified sources, Armen Sahakyan, Head of the Military Police at the Defense Ministry, has summoned a consultation and assigned an investigation into the incident.
