Crimes in the Armed Forces Decreased by 18.5%. RA Military Prosecutor's Office

During a meeting held today, February 11, by RA Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan, which was also attended by RA Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan, an overview of the activity of the RA Military Prosecutor’s Office in 2019 was presented, along with the results of the law enforcement agencies' work aimed at enhancing the efficiency of investigations into criminal acts in the armed forces, as reported by the Public Relations Department of the RA Prosecutor General's Office.

Also present at the meeting were the prosecutors of the RA Military Central Prosecutor's Office and garrisons, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Defense of RA and the Military Police of RA. Military Prosecutor Vahe Harutyunyan presented the main indicators of the fight against crime in the armed forces in 2019. According to this, there were 929 recorded criminal acts in the armed forces during the indicated period, of which 556 or 59.8% were military crimes, and 373 or 40.1% were of other general nature. Compared to 2018, there was an 18.5% decrease in the overall number of crimes.

Serious crimes decreased by 8.3%, while particularly serious crimes decreased by 27.9%. Overall, a decrease was recorded in all main types of crimes characteristic of the armed forces, except for crimes against public order and morality, as well as those related to violations of regulations for the use of military equipment. Additionally, the crime detection rate in the armed forces remained high at around 97%.

Analysis has shown that particularly violent incidents are often the result of improper treatment of prescribed relationships by military personnel, aimed at demonstrating perceived superiority or creating more favorable conditions for themselves during service, as well as non-compliance with military discipline and adherence to street behavior.

During the meeting, the Prosecutor General specifically addressed this issue, as well as the death cases occurring in the army, emphasizing that despite the positive trend in crime reduction—indicative of the effectiveness of the work of law enforcement agencies and leadership of the RA Armed Forces—the primary focus for 2020 will be the active efforts to prevent such crimes and eliminate the conditions and causes that contribute to them.

In this framework, an unyielding fight will be waged against manifestations characteristic of a criminal subculture in the military, along with the implementation of intensive explanatory work with military personnel.

The Prosecutor General ordered that in all cases of violence against military personnel, where individuals do not confirm the information previously provided during investigations, prosecutors must ensure their reception.

He also stated that the actions of officials responsible for the prevention and investigation of particularly serious crimes would become the subject of investigation, with strict oversight being implemented over the fulfillment of the aforementioned directives.

While Artur Davtyan expressed satisfaction with the initiative of military prosecutors to appeal to relevant state bodies regarding the elimination of factors contributing to crime, he emphasized that these initiatives should be intensified, while ensuring consistent actions to address the issues mentioned.

According to analyses, there are instances where crimes result from violations and other illegal acts committed by officers, such as various manifestations of non-regulation behavior displayed by military personnel towards fellow soldiers and representatives of junior and senior officer ranks.

The Prosecutor General highlighted the need for continued efforts to change the behavior of the officer corps in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. In this regard, it is significant that the crime rate among officers has decreased by 33.1%, or 87 cases. In 2018, 263 cases of crimes committed by officers were recorded, while in 2019 the number was 176.

Artur Davtyan also mentioned that one of the main directions of cooperation with the Ministry of Defense is to implement effective mechanisms to enhance the interest of the leadership personnel of these military units in preventing and solving various crimes. In this context, it is essential that the indicators of crime prevention and detection be considered as a positive factor in assessing the work of unit leaders.

During the meeting, it was noted that there is a continued positive trend in the areas of both uncovering corrupt crimes and fulfilling prosecutorial duties for protecting state interests in the armed forces. Specifically, in 2018, 291 criminal cases of a corrupt nature were examined, while in 2019 this number increased to 296.

In 2019, 404 studies were conducted regarding the protection of state interests, resulting in the Military Prosecutor’s Office recording damages to the state amounting to approximately 12 billion AMD, which exceeds the 2018 figures by around six times. Through prosecutorial measures, approximately 1.3 billion AMD of damages were recovered, which is twice the result from 2018.

In 2019, 503 criminal cases regarding crimes committed by or involving military personnel were sent to courts with an indictment against 752 individuals. The court hearings for 306 criminal cases were completed with a verdict, resulting in the condemnation of 416 individuals.

In the context of enhancing the effectiveness of the prosecutorial function, the Prosecutor General ordered that in cases of criminal proceedings resulting in death, the chief prosecutors be directly involved in the process of managing the prosecution. Moreover, Artur Davtyan deemed it essential that, when sufficient evidence is available, cases regarding serious and particularly serious crimes be sent to court with an indictment as promptly as possible, not only to ensure the principle of unavoidable punishment but also considering the significance of judicial proceedings in crime prevention.

The meeting also featured a discussion on the prospects of cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Defense regarding mechanisms to eliminate non-regulatory relationships in military units and improving commanders’ capacities to prepare materials for investigations.

The Prosecutor General and the Minister of Defense evaluated the level of cooperation between the two departments in the context of the challenges presented.