The Armed Forces Were Used on March 1: Tonoyan

The criminal case of March 1 affects both the senior and the highest military commands, considering the pre-investigation phase. This was stated by Armenia's Minister of Defense David Tonoyan during a broadcast on Public Television.

“There are constant invitations to the Anti-Corruption Committee and other places. It has a certain influence, but it is unequivocal that the armed forces must be apolitical. This cannot continue any longer,” he said.

When asked if there is a guarantee today that the army will no longer interfere in politics, Tonoyan replied, “That is guaranteed by legislation and the Constitution. The armed forces must remain apolitical. The Armenian Armed Forces must be kept away from all political processes, and I am very grateful that the Prime Minister also agrees with me on this issue and has shown principle. The last elections have also shown that we are forming a tradition of remaining outside political processes.”

When asked if the army participated on March 1, the Minister of Defense responded, “The armed forces were used, yes. The armed forces were present at the March 1 events and fulfilled their duties. Since the pre-investigation phase has ended, we are entering the trial phase, I will refrain from giving any assessment, but the fact is that the armed forces were present and were used.”