Commander of Battalion on Combat Duty in Hin Tagher Village Arrested

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has reported that significant investigative and other procedural actions have led to the discovery of evidence in the criminal case being investigated by the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee's Administration for Particularly Important Cases.

It has been established that J.M., serving as the commander of a rifle battalion and being the head of his subordinate personnel, received orders on November 9, 2020, after the signing of a trilateral agreement, to ensure the security of 12 combat positions along the eastern border of the Hin Tagher area in the Hadrut region of the Republic of Artsakh. However, during the combat operations between December 11 and 12, 2020, he exhibited negligence in his official duties, resulting in serious consequences: the 12 combat positions along the eastern border of the Hin Tagher area came under enemy control, and personnel stationed at combat position N found themselves surrounded, leading to the deaths of nine servicemen and the capture of two others. This information has been provided by the information and public relations department of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

The aforementioned commander was charged as early as April 30, 2021, under Part 3 of Article 376 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, and a petition was submitted to the first instance court of general jurisdiction in Yerevan for his detention as a measure of restraint, which was rejected by a decision dated May 1, 2021. The prosecutor maintaining oversight over the legality of the pre-trial criminal proceedings filed an appeal against this decision at the Court of Appeals of the Republic of Armenia, which was accepted, and the case was sent back to the first instance court for a new examination.

On November 8, 2021, the first instance court of general jurisdiction in Yerevan accepted the petition of the prosecuting body, and as a measure of restraint, decided to apply detention to the accused J.M. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Note: A person suspected of or charged with an alleged crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, based on a legally binding court verdict.