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BAKU: Armenian Army: Corruption, torture and `dedovshchina' cases

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  • BAKU: Armenian Army: Corruption, torture and `dedovshchina' cases

    Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
    Aug 24 2007


    Armenian Army: Corruption, torture and `dedovshchina' cases burst out


    [ 24 Aug 2007 16:42 ]

    Corruption, torture and `dedovshchina' (physical and psychological
    abuse of new recruits in the army' have come normal cases in Armenian
    army.

    Azerbaijani Defense Ministry information department told APA the 1st
    corps of Armenian armed forces in Gorus region is being monitored. 10
    fire-arms were lost in the corps in unidentified situation. It is
    suspected that officer personnel sold the arms. Defense Minister (now
    prime minister) Serge Sarkisyan ordered the Armed Forces Staff
    chairman (now defense minister) Mikael Arutunyan and ministry's
    department chief Alik Mirzabekyan to conduct inspections in the 1st
    corps under command of Garik Gabrielyan in March this year. This
    military unit is known by the name of military criminal, former
    commander Melikset Pogodyan, who took an active part during
    occupation of Azerbaijani territories. Sarkisyan ordered to conduct a
    careful investigation and preserve `silence'.
    Arovat newspaper writes the minister feared that this fact would be
    used against the authorities during election campaign. Though
    Armenian defense ministry rejects the fact, it is known that the
    inspections are conducted by deputy chief of armed forces staff
    Enriko Apriamov, military prosecutor's office and military police.
    According to rumors the disappeared fire-arms might have seized by
    Samvel Babayan, former defense minister of the toy regime in Nagorno
    Karabakh.
    One more example to corruption cases in military authorities of
    Armenia is dismissal of commander of 4th corps, Major General Sedrak
    Saroyan. Saroyan was discharged by President Robert Kocharian on 13
    February due to corruption in the 4th corps.
    Amnesty International human rights organization called for the
    Armenian government to observe UN recommendations against torture,
    investigate violence fact in army units and jails. The condition in
    detention places worries Armenian Human Rights Commission. The member
    of the commission, lawyer Gayk Alumyan stated that the matter is
    inhuman act. He said that there is no window, nor light in the places
    where detained soldiers are kept. The soldiers suffer in these dark
    places. Police inspector hauled hand one of the soldiers and hit the
    wounded soldier's leg. The commission found out that the witnesses
    are kept in jail until the version of investigation is asserted.
    ``Dedovshchina' is daily life norm in Armenian Armed Forces. Soldier
    Suren Grigoryan was conscripted after graduating law faculty.
    Grigoryan served 6 months and he was beaten by a group of officers.
    The soldier was injured badly and he lost his speech ability. The
    soldier's mother said that her son underwent pressures even in
    hospital.
    `They demanded doctors to give him a diagnosis of mental disease,'
    she said.
    Military Prosecutor's Office does not recognize Grigoryan as a
    sufferer, forensic medical examination refuses to assert his
    injuries, and characterize the soldier as invalid. The facts
    publicized by Human Rights Commission mad e a stir in Armenia.
    `I am ready to do any illegality in order to protect my son from
    military service,' one of the mothers said.
    After appointment of new defense minister, cases of torture and
    violence in Armenian Army continue to rise. /APA/

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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