“The MoD Wants to Say that any Publicity regarding the Army can be done within the Limits Defined by them.” Human Rights Activist

Human rights activist, Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, is convinced that if a young man, who is complaining about the problems in the army, meets with the representatives of media by the initiative of the MoD, then he will most likely not be punished for his complaints. He told this in a conversation with 1in.am.

“Did the Ministry of Defense, which was criticizing and condemning all non-governmental organizations who are raising concerns over the situation in the army, saying that they are “harming” it, now began “harming” the army on its own? That’s the conclusion I can make. But the MoD should publicly review its previous statements. Or does it now work  with the same methods of the non-governmental organizations do? In that case, it does not have any other option, but to fight against the flaws in the AF through a serviceman who tells about the injustices in the army at a press conference. It means that the MoD does not have anything else to do. The MoD should recruit people who can carry out the adequate functions, or those who organize the press conference should go into the public sector and start working as a public initiative.  If the MoD organizes such a press conference, it is already a guarantee that there will not be anything done to the young man; it is unequivocal. It is another point of discussion who and on what grounds initiated a criminal case against a serviceman in the 8th month of his service,” noticed Sakunts.  

He also recalled that some months ago, the Ministry of Defense did not welcome the appearance of the footage of the officer beating some servicemen in Yeghnikner Army Unit in the NKR on the internet, and immediately inquired who had posted the video. “Now such an attitude does not exist. Either the Minister of Defense has changed significantly, or they are simply saying that any publicity regarding the army can only be done within the limits defined by them,’ summarized the human rights activist.  

Earlier today, the MoD organized a meeting of several Armenian mass media, with serviceman Hovhannes Yesayan.  the hero who was in of the recent audio-recording disseminated by We Won’t Keep Silent Youth Initiative.

The young man had called the members of the initiative and complained about the injustices in their army unit.

Source: www.1in.am