Stay Away from the Armenian Army Officers, Regardless of Status, Says Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Karen Hakobyan

“Stay away from the officers of the Armenian army, regardless of status, whether rich or poor,” said Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Karen Hakobyan to journalists today, March 7, in front of the Central Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. He was participating in a protest organized for Lieutenant Colonel Ara Mkrtchyan who was brutally beaten last September.

“The pillars of the Armenian army are its officers; one cannot toy with the destinies and lives of these people. Believe me, we are a warring country, and at any moment, there could be a war, and people like you are not able to join us because you are not psychologically prepared. I urge the Armenian nation to remove this hatred from within; it has truly become disgusting. We cannot move forward with this; in reality, we are crumbling from within. I would recommend closing Facebook in Armenia; it has turned into a place of hatred where people insult each other, with one being referred to as 'who knows what’ and another as a ‘pizza eater’.

As officers, we urge you to be tolerant and to love one another. Justice does not come from the Constitutional Court, but rather from individual judges, from our investigative bodies, the prosecutor's office, and others. I ask you to ensure a fair trial. It cannot be that 3-4 officers give testimony that there were 6-7 people at the scene, including the governor, but it’s turned around and said differently,” he stated, adding that if fair trials are not conducted now, those who cover up this case will be held accountable later.

The father of the beaten lieutenant colonel also said that they will not hold a protest on Monday, but will instead hold it on Thursday near the Government building.