Is There a Missing Soldier Due to the Barrack Fire? Investigative Committee Responds

Reports of a soldier going missing as a result of a fire in the engineering platoon barracks located in the territory of Azat village are absolutely untrue, according to the Investigative Committee. This information was communicated to "Factinfo" during an interview, where they rejected the claims.

It is noteworthy that today during a press conference, reserve Colonel Volodya Hovhannisyan stated that a soldier went missing following the tragic fire in the barracks stationed in Azat village, prompting a search by the National Security Service (NSS) and military counterintelligence.

“Immediately after extinguishing the fire, entry into the barracks was prohibited at the request of the NSS. Even the police were forbidden to speak with those present and witnesses. Firefighters and Ministry of Emergency Situations personnel were not allowed to enter or touch anything. The NSS and counterintelligence were searching for the soldier. Who was that soldier? Did they find him? Was he deceased or alive? Is he a captive? No one has information; this information is being hidden,” Hovhannisyan stated.

“Factinfo” contacted the body conducting the proceedings to clarify whether the whereabouts of any soldier is unknown. The Investigative Committee denied the information, stating that it is absolutely not in accordance with reality.

Recall that the tragic incident occurred on January 19 at approximately 01:30, resulting in the death of 15 soldiers, with three being transferred to the National Institute of Burn Medicine, two of whom, including a captain, have been in the intensive care unit for an extended period.

An investigation has been launched under Article 532, paragraph 4 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, regarding the violation of rules for handling materials posing a danger to the environment, which has negligently led to the death of two or more persons. In the framework of the criminal proceedings, decisions have been made regarding victim recognition.

A separate investigation has also been initiated under Article 550, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code for military negligence, which negligently resulted in the death of a person. The mentioned criminal case has been merged with the main case, and a joint investigation is underway. Currently, there are four defendants in the criminal case, two of whom are in custody. The fourth defendant is the captain, who, according to the hypothesis put forward by Prime Minister N. Pashinyan during a government meeting, attempted to ignite the furnace with gasoline. The captain, as it is known, also suffered burns and is currently in the hospital.

The injured party has stated that they do not trust the official version and have begun their own investigation.