Criminal Proceedings Initiated Against Rear Services Chief Over Military Barracks Fire

The Prosecutor's Office has announced that as of January 25, 2023, a decision has been made to initiate public criminal proceedings against G.A., the Chief of Rear Services and Deputy for Army Unit No. of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defense, under Part 3 of Article 550 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (military negligence resulting in death).

The investigation conducted by the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee has gathered sufficient evidence that G.A., in his role as commander and responsible official, failed to fulfill his duties in organizing fire safety protocols within the army unit. This included not ensuring the fire protection for rear facilities, not instructing personnel on necessary actions during fire emergencies, not providing the required firefighting equipment across all facilities, and neglecting the timely checks of the unit's fire safety protocols.

As a result of this negligence, fatalities occurred. It was noted that in the barracks of the Engineer Battalion, 15 conscript soldiers lost their lives, while one officer and four conscript soldiers suffered various degrees of bodily harm.