A Judge Who Served Under the Command of Movses Hakobyan Details His Recognition

The newspaper 'Zhoghovurd' reports: 'Zhoghovurd' has obtained a letter from Judge Vache Margaryan, who refused to investigate the criminal case of the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Movses Hakobyan, explaining why he declined to examine the case.

In his decision, Margaryan wrote: 'I must note that I was conscripted into the army during 1999-2001 for mandatory military service and was assigned to the PB military unit as a private soldier, subsequently receiving the rank of sergeant. The commander of the PB unit during my conscription was Movses Hrant Hakobyan, under whose command my military service began. I find it important to mention that I regard Movses Hrant Hakobyan positively, I have carried out all his orders and assignments, accepting him as a professional military figure, and having demonstrated exemplary behavior, I was honored with his commendations. Therefore, I believe that in this case, I have a biased attitude towards the defendant Movses Hakobyan and cannot be impartial as a judge in this matter, nor can I make an unbiased decision in the case.'

As a result, the case has been assigned to Judge Manvel Shahverdyan.

It is worth reminding that the National Security Service initiated a criminal case against the former head of the Armed Forces' General Staff, Movses Hakobyan, over the disclosure of state secrets, as he made several controversial statements regarding the course of the war.

For more details, see today's issue of the newspaper 'Zhoghovurd'.