The Sergeant Committed Sexual Acts Against a Soldier and Then Incited Him to Kill Three Fellow Soldiers

The Military Investigative Main Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia has unveiled significant circumstances surrounding the murder of three servicemen that took place on August 19, 2021, including the motive. This was reported by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

It was previously reported that on that day, the bodies of three conscript soldiers with fatal gunshot wounds were discovered in the combat position barracks of a military unit of the RA Ministry of Defense.

During the preliminary investigation, factual data indicated that one of the conscript soldiers owed money to the sergeant, who demanded the debt a few days later. The soldier responded that he could repay it after the end of his combat duty. Some time later, the sergeant demanded several times more money than the soldier owed.

It also became known that the sergeant had committed homosexual sexual acts against the mentioned soldier in the barracks, which was witnessed by another soldier, who then informed two of his fellow servicemen, who began to mock him. Driven by the urge to keep the incident from being publicized and not to tarnish his reputation, the sergeant regularly threatened the soldier that he would inform the latter's parents about what had happened if he did not kill the three mentioned servicemen.

On August 19, 2021, around 01:30, while on alert duty, the soldier, intending to unlawfully kill his three fellow servicemen, entered the combat position barracks, took an AK-74 type assault rifle attached to one of the soldiers, loaded it with a magazine, and fired shots at his sleeping comrades with the direct intent to kill, causing them fatal, life-threatening gunshot wounds before leaving the barracks.

Based on sufficient evidence gathered, the conscript soldier has been charged under Article 104 (Murder) of the RA Criminal Code, part 2, point 1, while the sergeant is charged under Article 139 (Sexual Violent Acts) of the RA Criminal Code, part 1, point 8, and Article 38-104, part 2, point 1. The preliminary investigation has been completed, and the criminal case has been sent to the prosecuting authority with a request to confirm the indictment and send it to court.