Investigative Committee Comments on Controversial Interview of Soldier Affected by Fire

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has not commented on where the bodies of 14 of the 15 soldiers who died in the fire at the military barracks in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik region, were found.

"All of this contains data that are state secrets under investigation. These are circumstances that are currently the subject of inquiry and are of utmost importance. I will not rush to provide information on this matter at this time. The investigation will be conducted, and at a certain stage, when the circumstances are clarified, the Investigative Committee will provide explanations," said Gor Abrahamyan, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

According to him, examinations have been appointed regarding the circumstances of the soldiers' deaths, and, in general, all circumstances are becoming the subject of investigation.

It should be noted that on January 20, Arsen Saroyan, a colonel with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia, stated in an interview with Public Television that the soldiers who lost their lives in the fire were found lying on their beds.

After that, the media outlet approached the National Burn Center to interview the injured soldiers, but the center refused, stating that no one was allowed to enter the area where the injured soldiers were located.

However, since yesterday, an interview with one of the injured soldiers conducted by Factor.am has spread widely on the internet. According to our information, the journalist accessed the center through the entrance of the nearby “Medline Clinic” medical center.

In the interview, the soldier contradicts the essentially official information provided by Colonel Saroyan. He recounts that he was asleep and woke up to sounds. Throughout the escape attempt, everyone ran, and he does not remember seeing anyone lying down at that moment.

Moreover, three soldiers are currently in the National Burn Center. One of them is a commander who, according to the official version, poured gasoline into the stove with a 5-liter container, which caused the fire in the barracks.