The Special Investigative Service Confirms: Artak Davtyan Has Been Interrogated

The Armenian Special Investigative Service has confirmed that Artak Davtyan, whose candidacy was presented by Nikol Pashinyan for the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, has been interrogated by the Service in connection with accusations related to his contributions to the disintegration of the army.

It is noteworthy that the information regarding his interrogation was reported to 'Factinfo' by the former head of the Armed Forces General Staff and the former head of the Military Inspection Service of the Ministry of Defense, Movses Hakobyan. Hakobyan indicated that Davtyan was interrogated in connection with a criminal case initiated based on his statements.

Hakobyan claimed he accused Davtyan of 'efforts contributed' to the disintegration of the army, following which he was summoned for interrogation. Hakobyan was not aware of the capacity in which Artak Davtyan was interrogated.

'Factinfo' attempted to clarify the details with the Special Investigative Service, which only stated that, due to the secrecy of the preliminary investigation, they do not provide information concerning interrogations related to ongoing criminal cases. In other words, they did not deny that the candidate whom Nikol Pashinyan wishes to see again as Chief of the General Staff is under investigation by the Service.

Theoretically, it is not excluded that based on the evidence collected, there may arise a need to assess Davtyan's actions from a criminal legal perspective.

As previously reported, by the power of law, the Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, Onik Gasparyan, was relieved of his post as of March 9. On the same day, Nikol Pashinyan announced that he had proposed Artak Davtyan for appointment as the Chief of the General Staff.

It is significant to mention that during Pashinyan's tenure, Davtyan has been dismissed twice: in June 2020, he was relieved of his position as Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff at Pashinyan's request due to a scandal related to his son's wedding, then he was appointed as the chairman of the military-industrial committee, a position he held for only four months.

The President has declared that he will not sign the decree for Davtyan's appointment as Chief of the General Staff and will not appeal to the Constitutional Court. It means he is to become the Chief of the General Staff by the power of law.