«I Am a Sitting Guy»: Why Soldiers in Meghri Left Their Military Unit

Soldiers at the Meghri military unit were seen marching unsanctioned, chanting "dumb, dumb, hoo" and mimicking the criminal underworld with the phrase "life for the thieves, death for the police." This incident was reported by one of the direct participants who wished to remain anonymous during a recent interview with Zangezur TV.

According to eyewitness accounts, a private named Musayelyan loudly declared, "Guys, be brave, I am a sitting guy, wherever I sit, I am your lord... After negotiating with the rebellious soldiers, the command succeeded in returning them to the base, but under the condition that their 'king brother' would not be transferred to another military unit. The command also set its condition: it would not transfer the troublemaking soldier, but the guilty parties would face consequences as prescribed by law,” the source stated.

The informant added that this same private, Karo, had his own separate room in the unit and served under privileged conditions. "As the people say, he was a 'yakshi,'” the source noted. He explained that beyond this, some soldiers refused to comply with the established regulations, such as altering their uniforms to resemble civilian clothing and neglecting personal grooming by claiming that Prime Minister Pashinyan also sports a beard. “Additionally, there have been abuses regarding mobile phone permissions in the government military unit, meaning that instead of performing their duties, soldiers were absorbed in the internet,” he stated.

One eyewitness, who also preferred anonymity, recounted the public's fear as so many soldiers exited the military unit. “I said, ‘They are coming back.’ A soldier does not have the right to leave his unit. It’s like a retreat. Inside the unit, a battle is taking place; forcefully suffocate the colonel, but do not leave,” he remarked.

It is worth noting that soldiers voluntarily left a military unit in Meghri, signaling their protest. Following this, a group of soldiers was transferred to the disciplinary units in Kapan and then in Stepanakert, from where they were subsequently sent to the front lines. According to parents, the incident stemmed from the actions of an officer.