Abrahamyan on Criminal Cases Related to Orders Not to Fire

Yesterday, I came across some comments on social media regarding the initiation of criminal cases against military personnel who did not comply with orders not to fire. Of course, those posts did not contain any factual references, and it is possible that they were purely emotional statements. This was noted by Gagik Abrahamyan, advisor to the Prosecutor General, on his Facebook page.

“Nevertheless, to exclude any unnecessary speculation, I want to emphasize that there are no criminal cases in the investigative bodies of the Republic of Armenia related to military personnel of the RA Armed Forces performing duties to protect the state borders, or related to failing to respond to hostile forces approaching the combat positions of the RA Armed Forces, giving orders not to open fire for such situations, or other similar circumstances. Moreover, such a thing cannot happen. On the contrary, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the Law on Defense, and military regulations, the protection of the inviolability of state borders, including the necessity to fire upon invading hostile forces, is the responsibility of each military unit in charge of protecting particular sections of the border. Failure to fulfill this responsibility, which can lead to encroachments on the state's territorial integrity, constitutes a crime against state authority or military service order and entails criminal liability,” he wrote.