Commander of Training Battalion of Defense Army N Unit Left Battlefield Voluntarily During War; Arrested

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has reported that a commander of a training battalion of one of the units of the Artsakh Defense Army has been charged during an ongoing investigation linked to the aggressive war unleashed by the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh on March 16, 2021, and the declaration of martial law on September 27, 2020.

The commander, while holding the position of commander of the training battalion, is accused under Article 356, Part 3 and Article 380, Part 1 of the Republic of Armenia Criminal Code for failing to execute a direct order from his immediate superior during combat actions and voluntarily leaving the battlefield, resulting in grave consequences.

The First Instance General Jurisdiction Court of Yerevan accepted the petition submitted by the prosecuting authority, leading to the commander’s arrest. This information was provided by the Investigative Committee.

On April 9, 2021, the Court of Appeals of Armenia annulled the decision regarding the detention of the accused, allowing him to be released from custody. However, on September 7, 2021, the Court of Cassation upheld the appeal filed by the prosecutor overseeing the pre-trial investigation, reaffirming the earlier court's decision. The accused has since been detained and transferred to the corresponding penitentiary institution of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.

The investigation continues.

Note: A suspect or accused individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures set forth by the criminal procedure code of the Republic of Armenia, as established by a legally enforced court decision.