Video: There are now criminal cases involving generals, says Pashinyan

“They say that Pashinyan is weakening the army and the general staff. Yes, there are now criminal cases involving generals. But have we not agreed that everyone must be equal before the law in Armenia?” said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a live broadcast titled “Conversation with Citizens: Exploitation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Issue” on his Facebook page.

“There are well-known criminal cases involving generals. This is not a secret, but haven’t we agreed that everyone in Armenia must be equal before the law? Do we want a society, a situation where a general, a minister, or any status allows us to act without any restrictions? I do not want to violate anyone's presumption of innocence, but I would like to note the attitude that has formed towards military personnel over the past 1.5 years. Of course, in accordance with the procedures established by Armenian law, but at my initiative and by the signature of the President of Armenia, several military personnel have been awarded general ranks. For example, the commander of the communications troops, the head of the air defense forces, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the head of the missile forces and artillery, and the commander of the Third Army Corps, Grigor Khachaturian, has also received the rank of lieutenant general by my decision and the presidential decree. Regarding the last decision, dozens of analyses were conducted; he is the son of Yuri Khachaturian, but his work as a military officer has been appreciated.

Also, the rank of general has been restored for Vagharshak Harutyunyan by my initiative,” Pashinyan stated.

The Prime Minister also emphasized that during the past 1.5 years, the Armenian government has provided material support to the Republic of Artsakh and its generals, the Defense Army, and added that he would soon speak in detail about what material assistance the Armenian government has allocated to the Artsakh government in general.