Statistics of fatalities registered in the Armenian Armed Forces in the first quarter of 2019
The monitoring implemented by Peace Dialogue NGO has made it possible to collect data on 13 cases of fatality in the RA Armed Forces and the NK Defense Army in the first quarter of 2019. Eight (8) cases have been registered in the RA, four (4) cases were in the territory of NK, and the location of one of the cases has not been determined by the organization.
No cases of fatality as a result of ceasefire regime violation have been registered in the reporting period. Three (3) of the mentioned fatalities were cases of murder, one (1) was a case of suicide, six (6) were cases of fatal incidents, two (2) cases were caused by health problems, and one (1) fatality was a result of negligence.
It must be mentioned that the source of only in the case of seven (7) fatality cases were statements released by official bodies. In the rest of the cases, the relevant official bodies have not released any official statement or have released one only after the revelation and coverage of the cases by media.
You may find the cases in accordance with their causes below:
Murder
Mesrop Grigoryan (11 February, RA)
Contractual military serviceman Mesrop Grigoryan (born in 18 October 1985) died as a result of a mortal gunshot wound in the protection area of one of the military units. According to the preliminary information, with the illegal intention of deprivation of life, private A. K. released firearms on senior lieutenant Mesrop Grigoryan from his machine gun as a result of which the latter died at 5:20 p.m. On the basis of the incident, the 8th Garrison Investigative Department has filed a criminal case as per Article 104 Part 1; a preliminary investigation is underway. All the necessary measures are being taken for ensuring the comprehensive, full, and objective investigation of the case.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Babken Kurghinyan, Deputy Military Commissar of Kotayk Region, Grigoryan served in the RA AF for a remarkably long period before resigning from the military. In October 2018 he had signed a new contract to continue his military service in the AF.
Karen Karapetyan (12 March, NK)
A criminal case has been launched in the 2nd Garrison Investigative Department as per Article 104 Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code on the basis of the mortal gunshot wounding of soldier private Karen Karapetyan on 12 March 2019, at approximately 06:50 a.m., in the combat position of one of the Military Units of NK DA; a preliminary investigation is underway.
In the course of the preliminary investigation, K. Karapetyan’s peer soldier was arrested on suspicion of committing a crime defined by Article 104 Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code.
Ara Arakelyan (26 March, NK)
On 26 March 2019, at approximately 18:30, in the territory of the former military camp of one of tgr military units of NK DA, junior sergeant Ara Arakelyan received mortal gunshot wounds and senior sergeant Andranik Koshkanyan was wounded in the wrist area of his left hand. On the basis of the incident, a criminal case has been initiated in the 2nd Garrison Investigative Department as per Article 34-104 Part 2(1) of the RA Criminal Code and a preliminary investigation is underway.
In the course of the preliminary investigation the victims’ peer soldier was arrested on suspicion of committing the crime defined by Article 34-104 Part 2(1) of the RA Criminal Code.
Suicide
Edgar Grigoryan (1 January, RA)
According to Tert.am, contractual military serviceman Edgar Grigoryan died as a result of a mortal gunshot wound on New Year’s eve; however, no official statement on the incident has been released by the RA MoD or the Investigative Committee, no official message is posted on the websites of any relevant body. In response to the media inquiries, the RA MoD stated:
“On 1 January 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., contractual military serviceman Edgar Grigoryan was found with a gunshot wound in the chest area in the protection area of the combat position of one of the military units or the RA AF. The wounded soldier was taken to Meghri MC where at 8:10 a.m., he was pronounced legally dead.
The RA MoD suggested addressing to the investigative body for further details about the incident. A criminal case has been initiated on the basis of the incident as per Article 110 Part 1 (driving a person to suicide) of the RA Criminal Code.
The MoD has not responded to the question why no official information had been released by the authority. On March 5, the Press Secretary of the RA MoD Artsroun Hovhannisyan stated on his Facebook page that the RA AF never has or will conceal any fatality case; as for the mentioned case of the soldier’s death, he mentioned, “We have already explained that there has been a mistake in the case of Edgar Grigoryan, but it does not bear a regular nature”.
Fatal Incident
Gevorg Chobanyan (1 January, RA)
On 1 January 2019, at approximately 9:30 p.m., while on free shift, contractual military serviceman sergeant Gevorg Chobanyan had a car accident in the 141st km of the Yerevan-Noyemberyan highway, as a result of which he died.
Khoren Gevorgyan (13 January, RA)
On January 13, at approximately 9:00 p.m., an inhabitant of Karchevan Village of Syunik Marz, Khoren Gevorgyan’s car (VAZ2107, license plate 10 QA 045) was hit by a Volvo truck with an Iranian license plate. As a result of the accident, Kh. Gevorgyan died and two passengers were taken to the Meghri Medical Center. The deceased was a contractual military serviceman in the RA MoD Military Unit N.
Armen Grigoryan (24 February, RA)
On February 24, at approximately 2:00 p.m., an alarm was received in the Rescue Service of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations about a car which had rolled off the road and appeared in the Tavush water reservoir on the 2nd km of the Berd-Aygepar highway. A dead person was found inside the car. The deceased was an inhabitant of Aygepar Village of Tavush Region, 31-year-old Armen Grigoryan, who was a contractual military serviceman in the Armed Forces.
The Sixth Garrison Investigative Committee of the Military Investigation Department of the RA Investigative Department has initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances of Armen Grigoryan’s death.
On 24 February 2019, at approximately 2:30, the drowned body of Armen Grigoryan, a contractual military serviceman in the RA MoD Military Unit N on his free shift, was found in the Tavush water reservoir located near the 2.5th km of the Berd-Aygepar highway. All the necessary measures are taken in the Sixth Garrison Investigative Committee of the Military Investigation Department of the RA Investigative Department to ensure the comprehensive, full, and objective investigation of the case.
Derenik Danielyan (10 March, RA)
On 10 March 2019, contractual military servicemen Derenik Danielyan and Meruzhan Hakobyan died as a result of a car accident (a car driven by a third person hit an electric pole) in the Kotayk Region.
Meruzhan Hakobyan (10 March, RA)
Hamlet Avagyan (12 March, RA)
According to the RA MoD Press Secretary Artsrun Hovhannisyan, on March 12, in the North-Eastern direction of the RA borderline, soldier-medic Hamlet Avagyan died while carrying out his official duties. The 19-year-old soldier had been recruited to the army in July 2018.
On 12 March 2019, at approximately 5:00 p.m., the sanitary instructor of the RA MoD Military Unit N, private Hamlet Avagyan fell into the gorge on the way to another military base for the purpose of providing medical care. H. Avagyan died as a result of the received bodily injuries.
Necessary materials are being prepared in the sixth Garrison Investigative Department Military Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee.
Health Issues
Slava Gevorgyan (6 January, NK)
On 6 January 2019, warrant Officer Slava Gevorgyan was admitted to the Martakert Medical Center with the diagnosis of hypertonic crisis, Ischemic heart disease, gastric ulcer. At approximately 11:50 a.m., he was pronounced legally dead.
Karen Lalayan (24 January)
On 24 January 2019, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Lieutenant Colonel Karen Lalayan was pronounced legally dead in the Ambulance car with the diagnosis of cancer.
Negligence
Frunzik Tamazyan (12 February, NK)
On 12 February 2019, in an NK DA Military Unit situated in Madaghis, a resident of Alaverdi, Frunzik Tamazyan died in the Martakert Military Hospital as a result of cardiac arrest caused by liver insufficiency according to the initial diagnosis.
The RA MoD did not release an official statement on this case at the time. According to the RA MoD Press Secretary Artsrun Hovhannisyan, allegedly this is one of the cases which are not related to the military service. However, in response to Forrights.am’s query, the Press Secretary of the RA Investigative Committee, Naira Harutyunyan stated that “A criminal case was initiated as per Article 376 Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code – professional negligence which has accidentally resulted in grave consequences. There are no culprits in the mentioned criminal case.”
The father of the deceased, war veteran Valeri Tamazyan assures that his son was healthy and could not have died in one day. He suspects that no timely and accurate medical care was provided to his 19-year1old son, which resulted in his death.
Posted 23 April, 2019
