On December 6, 2011, resident of Vanadzor, Lori Region, Gayane Hrayr Ghulinyan, applied to HCAV regarding the protection of the rights of her son, Davit Ayvazyan, a serviceman in the Askeran Army Unit. On December 23, 2011, our organization sent an E/2011 – 23.12/39 notice to the RA Ministry of Defense and as of this date has not received a response. 

If you are a conscript or a serviceman, and your rights have been violated, you can apply to Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office (address: 59 Tigran Mets St. Vanadzor) or call 0 8000 12 11 toll-free hotline to receive free legal support.

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.

In an interview with “Aravot” the RA Minister of Defense, SeyranOhanyan, when referring to the outcry of the non-governmental organizations about the issues in the army and the demand for the army leadership to work transparently, in essence, repeated what the RA Deputy Minister of Defense had stated last week.

1in.am interviewed Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor and who is also a member of the Army in Reality Initiative.

Lately some people have been trying to discredit the army for political purposes and have beenspeculating on the griefof the parents of soldiers who committed suicide or who were murdered in the army.

It is not a secret that the majority of “human rights protection” organizations, especially those which are funded by various international structures and foundations, are mainly busy wasting the grants or spending the money for some disguised purposes, such as interfering in the political life of our country and discrediting our government structures.

The objectivity of the investigation in the case of Vladimir Asatryan, who allegedly committed suicide on October 9th at a military base in Martakert, is questioned in the evidence of the internal and preliminary investigations and there are even suspicions of government inactivity.

The outcry of the non-governmental organizations against recent and successive suicides in the army caused a split in the ministry of defense.

Yesterday, October 21, 2011, members of the Army in Reality Initiative met with the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Davit Tonoyan on the latter’s initiative. As the member of the initiative group, human rights activist, Artur Sakunts told Henaran.am, the meeting was conducted in an atmosphere of mutual understanding.  

Tavush Region Court of Common Jurisdiction made a decision yesterday to move the trial of Artak Nazaryan’s case to one of the courts in Yerevan. 

According to human rights activist, Artur Sakuts, the Public Council under the MoD was created to save the ministry’s face and to create an illusion of civil participation.  The President of the PB, Gegham Harutyunyan, proved this with the statements he made today during the meeting with reporters.

Speaking during the Haylur News program on Public Television, Vladminir Gasparyan, Deputy Minister of Defense, referred to the tragedies in the armed forces and the reactions of civil society. Hedeclared that some human rights organizations were trying to politicize the incidents and the “appropriate-inappropriate” criticism of the army became a daily routine.

This year there have been 30 casualties in the Armenian Army, of which only 9 resulted from violations of ceasefire. 

Defence ministry forced to become more open than previously. A wave of protests following the murders of three conscript soldiers in the Armenian army has forced the government to announce immediate investigations, with an unprecedented degree of transparency.