On Sept. 11, a clip surfaced on YouTube showing two men in Armenian Army uniforms being subjected to mistreatment at the hands of a heavy set, bald, and shirtless man in military trousers.
Public outrage quickly followed. Some called for an investigation, others were enraged that the video had been publicized, and still others proposed that its authenticity was doubtful.
Less than a week after the clip was posted on YouTube, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced in a press release that the men appearing in the video had been identified, and were in custody. The Ministry added that a legal probe was underway.
The incident took place in July at the “N” military unit post, according to the Ministry on Sept. 22. The abuser was identified as Major Sasun Kalsdyan, who, in an inebriated state, beat and teased the two servicemen, Sergeant Garik Haroutyunyan and Pagur Yeghigyan.
The Defense Ministry announced that it is currently conducting an investigation and a medical examination. Haroutyunyan and Yeghigyan have been identified as victims.
Investigators are in possession of the mobile phone that recorded the incident. Interrogations are underway with the phone’s owner, another serviceman, as well as with his father and brother.
On Sept. 12, the Defense Ministry issued a statement saying it sought to identify the men appearing in the video and the person responsible for the “premeditated dissemination” of the footage.
The five-minute clip was of poor quality, mostly silent, with the exception of a sentence spoken at the end.
It shows the shirtless man continuously twisting the seemingly younger men’s ears, and delivering multiple slaps to their face and neck area. Cups were seen on the ground, along with a bottle of clear liquid, which the shirtless man poured on the face and neck of one of the soldiers.
Recent incidents in the army
On Aug. 24, the Defense Ministry issued a written statement that on Aug. 17, at the “N” army outpost in the northeastern Tavush region, junior sergeant Haroutyun Vartanian had fired two shots, killing fellow contract serviceman junior sergeant Arsen Chobanian.
About one month before, in July, five soldiers and their commander were shot dead at a military unit in Martuni, Karabagh. One of the soldiers, 21-year-old Karo Ayvazian, allegedly shot the five servicemen and turned the gun on himself.
Only a few days earlier, contract soldier Artak Nazaryan was found shot at the military unit of the Mehrab village in Tavush Marz. Authorities claimed Nazaryan committed suicide, but his relatives say it was premeditated murder.
Following the July incidents, the Defense Ministry dismissed eight army officers, among them the commander of the Martuni military unit, Colonel Felix Baghdasaryan, and reprimanded 13 others.
These incidents have been closely and persistently covered by the Azerbaijani press, often presenting them as evidence of the Armenian Army’s declining morale.
Nanore Barsoumian
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Absolutely unacceptable…
Our President and Govt officials should spend more time fixing internal matters than shoving illegal money in their pockets by entertaining and selling our country to foreigners… To serve and protect…if our govt can’t serve and protect our troops, how can our troops serve and protect our country?
what type of monkeys do we have running our country? i am absolutely frustrated…
i must strongly agree with gayane’s statement. this is sickening. fat-mouthed armenians who know how to circumvent the rule of law and hurt our fine young men and women who serve obviously to keep their own interests….it is sickening.
No words just bad ,shame
Maybe the morale of all of these troops would be higher and they would not be boozing it up if they knew that their political leaders back home were not stealing them and their families blind.
Has the Armenian government heard the term Court Marshal yet?
Letting go of an officer and reprimanding a few more criminals in their armed forces, does not do.
Don’t we already have enough enemies? Do we need to kill our own?
What a shame.
I agree that there’s no room for superiors to asault their troops, anywhere in the world. It just serves to bring down morale within the ranks.
Ahmot – such treatment by any superiors or otherwise, is not Armenian! Armenians are not known to be a nation which dispenses such behavior to humans… Too, with dishonest leaders in government – and abusive leaderships in the Armenian military – and then those who take advantage of the natural resources and more of the nation of Armenia it appears that the influences of the USSR communist mentality prevails. Too, the history of the Christian Armenians behooves Armenians to rise above these demeaning leaders, whose actions reflect on all Armenians – unfairly. Haiastansis must learn to choose/elect intelligent, patriotic men and women to lead our Haiastan – ALL the leaders to date have reflected the mentality of non-Armenians – using Haiastan to fill their own pockets!! Too, we must remember our patriots of the first republic of Haiastan… there were so many! This military misfit, and others like him, can cause the downfall of our Armenian military – and need to become examples before the world that Armenians shall not/will not tolerate ANY inhumanity – especially to our own youth serving in our military – thrse we need more than we have need of an abusive idiot who abuses instead of leads… Shame him before the world – quickly!! Manooshag
I do agree with Gayane’s statement.
That’s why we must not let these soldiers and others in Armenia be/feel alone. There must come MUCH MORE pressure from Diasporan organizations on Armenian authorities.
Armenia is getting sold very quickly to Russian capital and those (semi-) criminal/(semi-) mafiosi Armenian oligarchs who are connected to that capital. And this goes up to the Armenian highest authorities. It is just frightening.
Just read what’s happening in Armenia on http://www.hetq.am etc.
People in Armenia are (kept) weak-they can not fight the injustice in the country ALONE. They need help ( I am not talking about financial help in the first place).
Diaspora made a mistake by allowing March 1, 2008 to happen, and we got Armenian-Turkish protocols and other similar things.
Russian capital grows and grows in Armenia, which means that Russian puppet authorities in Armenia will make more and more pro-Russian decisions to protect that capital, which might not always be pro-Armenian/pro-Diasporan.
I specially call on ANCA, ARF Diaspora branches and others to put much more pressure on Armenian authorities to end the injustices in the country.
And, please, do not let the 2012 presidential elections be the same as 2008 was. Just send observers and do what you can, but DO NOT let Armenians in Armenia alone during election times. It is very important.
After all, there is NO Diaspora without a strong and democratic Armenia.
All over the world there are such incidents, i just saw one on CNN about US soldiers doing bizare things. i guess it’s the pressure of the army.