In this 7 minute documentary produced by Davidian Video Productions’ Robert Davidian and Liana Hakobyan, we hear about violent non-combat Armenian Army soldier deaths from the victims mothers, with murder evidence. These mothers need, deserve and demand justice now! We all do!

Did you know around 100 Armenian soldiers died while serving in the army in just the past three years from violent NON COMBAT causes!? Many mothers receive their sons’ dead tortured bodies with an explanation of suicide or no explanation at all! In this film, we hear directly from the grieving mothers that have formed a movement to bring attention to the government’s criminal coverup. Learn more at facebook.com and join the activist community at facebook.com/groups/StopCorruptionInArmenia/

On April 16, 2015 another hearing was held concerning the unexplained death of Manuchar Manucharyan while he was serving in the army. This phase of the trial was particularly noteworthy due to the fact that there is only one material witness in the case Libik Mkrtchyan from the town of Agarak. Based on the testimonies of this witness the preliminary investigative body managed to present the murder as a suicide and arrested two people for the crime.  The defendants, Arman Stepanyan and Babken Gaboyan have been charged with driving Manuchar Manucharyan to commit suicide. However, it must be noted that during the preliminary investigation Libik Mkrtchyan was accused of giving false testimony by Ruben Martirosyan a military expert working with Peace Dialogue and a representative of the victim’s brother.

Ruben Martirosyan gave an extensive statement about the credibility of the primary witness Mr. Libik Mkrtchyan. Mr. Martirosyan’s comments involved irregularities in both the written and oral testimony of Mr. Mkrtchyan as well as significant questions about the professional testimony by the psychologist and medical expert Ms. Elda Grin.  In addition, he raised questions of the ability of the MoD to understand and control the unit in which Mr. Manucharyan served.

The complete transcript of Mr. Martirosyan’s are available in the Armenian version.

The current research has been implemented by Peace Dialogue NGO in the framework of the project Safe Soldiers for a Safe Armenia, which is supported by the Dutch organization PAX. The research aims at studying the perceptions of youth on political developments,foreign policy, safety and a number of other issues in Armenia.

Between Freedom and Security

Manuchar Manucharyan’s brother describes the conduct of the Yerevan Garrison Military Prosecutor’s office as one of inaction and is planning to submit a complaint to the Court of First Instance of Arabkir and Qanaqer-Zeytun Communities of Yerevan.
Mr. Manucharyan’s brother says in his appeal that

“I sent a report of the crime by regular mail (17.02.2015) addressed to the RA General Prosecutor with the following content: “On July 31, 2013 at approximately 1:40 p.m. my brother Manuchar Manucharyan’s body was found in the territory of RA MoD military unit #24923. He was a soldier serving in that unit. A criminal case was initiated in regards to this incident. In order to help Manuchar Manucharyan’s family an expert criminologist R. Martirosyan of Peace Dialogue NGO, was recognized as the legal representative of the family. Our representative R. Martirosyan while getting acquainted with the materials of the case found out the following: “As a result of a biased and faulty preliminary investigation accompanied by gross violations, the homicide was qualified as a suicide. I call it biased and faulty after examining the trousers of the deceased and found.”

“…in the area of the upper part of the leg(thigh) up to the knee the trousers are dipped with thick blood resembling liquid; on the right leg, 3.5cm above the edge of the pocket there is a round crescent shaped 1.5cm hole; on the back of the right knee there is a blood-soaked trace of 10×25 cm and above this trace, 5cm down the round shaped stitch there is a hole of 5mm diameter, the edges of which have traces of burn. There were no other traces of injuries found on the trousers.” (case, volume 1, page 102-103).

When the case concerning Manuchar Manucharyan’s death was presented, they presented not the trousers but what they referred to as the drawers or underpants only.

It is clear that that the preliminary investigative body has committed a crime by concealing the trousers Manuchar Manucharyan was wearing and instead, sending only the underpants of the deceased for examination. By doing so the preliminary investigative body prejudiced the findings by concealing the fact that on the area near the back of the right knee on the trousers there was a gunshot trace of 5mm. Manucharyan’s brother said his brother could not cause this wound himself, and this is important evidence that it was an intentional homicide. Not presenting the trousers at the preliminary investigation provided an opportunity to present the incident as a suicide only.

Manuchar Manucharyan’s brother is therefore petitioning to have the pants recognized as evidence of foul play and to have the case reviewed according to the full and impartial extent of the law considering this evidence. He asks also that all persons who are guilty of withholding this evidence be held liable and to start criminal proceedings against all those guilty of the death of his brother by having the case be re-qualified under Article 105 and to carry out an impartial, thorough and detailed investigation with the actual trousers of his deceased brother entered as evidence.

This argument has been brought up before during the original hearing. At that time, the judge said it would be up to the prosecutor to recognize the additional evidence. The prosecutor has said that it is up to the court to order that an additional investigation be done. Manucharyan’s brother is asking that the trousers be recognized as a significant piece of evidence and that the case be re-opened in light of this new evidence by one or both parties so that the truth of his brother’s death may be recognized and his soul be put to rest.

The results of the observations carried out by Peace Dialogue NGO regarding the fatalities in the RA and NK armed forces for the first quarter of 2015.

The observations revealed 26 death cases in the RA and NK armed forces: 6 death cases occurred in the territory of Armenia while the other 20 cases occurred in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Based on the data revealed, 19 soldiers died as a result of ceasefire regime violations (4 cases in the RA territory, 15 cases in the NK territory):

1. Karen Grigoryan
2. Vardan Mkrtchyan

Karen Grigoryan and Vardan Mkrtchyan died during the same incident on the night of January 2-3 in the territory of Nagorno Karabakh.)

3. Arman Haroutyunyan (January 17^th , RA)
4. Suren Pilosyan (January 20^th, NK)
5. Nahapet Asatryan (January 21^st, NK
6. Arman Udumyan (January 21^st, RA)
7. Karen Galstyan
8. Artak Sargsyan

Karen Galstyan and Artak Sargsyan died during the same incident on January 23 in the territory of Armenia)

9. Shakespeare Hakobyan (February 5, NK)
10. Artak Aghekyan
11. Hayk Baroyan

Artak Aghekyan and Hayk Baroyan died as a result of the same incident on February 28^th in the territory of NK)

12. Arsen Karapetyan (March 2, NK)
13. Hakob Khachatryan
14. Eduard Hayrapetyan
15. Arshak Haroutyunyan
16. Samvel Hakobyan

Hakob Khachatryan, Eduard Hayrapetyan and Arshak Haroutyunyan died as a result of the same incident on March 19th in the territory of NK, while Samvel Hakobyan died on March 26th in the hospital as a result of the wounds he received during the same incident.

17. Hovsep Andreasyan (March 29^th, NK)
18. Unknown
19. Unknown

Times.am and Tert.am reported that 2 contractual soldiers died during the incident that occurred on the night of January 5-6 near the border of NK. However, there is no official report about this. NK Defense Army refused to provide any information to Peace Dialogue NGO.

2 soldiers committed suicide:

1. Albert Safaryan (February 27^th, NK)

The head of the company subaltern Arayik Sukiasyan, private soldier Gevorg Ghazaryan and junior sergeant Mihran Hovakimyan have been detained in regards to the suicide case of Albert Safaryan. The temporary soldiers are suspected in the commission of the crime under Article 359, Part 1 and Part 2, point 2 of the RA Criminal Code (Breach of relations, prescribed by field manuals, between servicemen not subordinated to each other, expressed in humiliation of the person’s honor and self-esteem, persecution or violence). The head of the company Arayik Sukiasyan is suspected in the commission of the crime under Article 358, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code.

2. Samvel Mirzoyan (March 6th, RA)

3 murder cases reported

1. Haykaz Barseghyan (January 29^th, RA)

A criminal case has been initiated in regards to Haykaz Barseghyan’s murder case. Officer of the RA MoD Vazgen Sargsyan military institute, Captain Artyom Avetisyan was arrested in regards to the case. The criminal case was initiated under Article 375, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code: “Abuse of power, transgression of authority or administrative dereliction, if these acts were committed for mercenary or group-interest motives, by a commander or official, and if these inflicted essential damage.” According to the announcement made by the Investigative Committee, four soldiers were arrested.

2. Tigran Simonyan (February 10, NK)

Within the framework of the criminal case with regards to the death of Tigran Simonyan, soldier of the same unit, senior lieutenant Taron Gedeonyan was arrested. He is suspected of breach of combat duty regulations as a result of negligence or bad faith and causing grave consequences.

3. Armen Osipyan (February 14, NK)

One soldier died in unknown circumstances.

1. Hayk Margaryan (March 22, NK)

One soldier died as a result of an accident.

1. Arthur Vardevanyan (January 17, NK)