I Have Decided to Present Myself to the National Assembly's Investigative Committee to Provide Explanations: Davit Tonoyan

The former Minister of Defense of Armenia, Davit Tonoyan, has issued a statement announcing his decision to present himself to the National Assembly’s Investigative Committee regarding the 44-day war, with the aim of providing explanations and answering questions.

"In my statement on June 15, 2022, I voiced my doubts about the real purposes of the National Assembly’s Investigative Committee. These concerns were confirmed recently when the chairman of the committee effectively rejected my public proposal for conducting an open session with the participation of Nikol Pashinyan and myself. Despite all my reservations about the objectives and working methods of the Investigative Committee, I have decided to present myself to this body to provide explanations and answers to questions. This decision was based on Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks at the committee and the subsequent statements of former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan, as well as public demand," the statement reads.

Tonoyan's request to the anti-corruption court has also been published: "Request to the court for short-term permission to attend the National Assembly's Investigative Committee. Honorable court, honorable participants of the proceedings, as known, the first meeting of the Investigative Committee established to examine the circumstances of the military actions unleashed on September 27, 2020, convened on February 14, 2022. The committee, also referred to as the Commission, exercises its powers through the Permanent Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly. According to the chairman of the Investigative Committee, Andranik Kocharyan, the seven directions of inquiry are as follows: 1. The preconditions, causes, and conditions for unleashing the military actions on September 27, 2020, the chronology of the war, and the losses incurred by the Armenian side; 2. The political and military causes of recorded failures and the conditions that facilitated them; 3. The management and control system of the defense sector, the course of preparatory actions established in the defense sector during the period preceding the war; 4. The operational nature of actions by military command bodies and officials, the relevance and adequacy of decisions made in relation to the evolving military situation; 5. The examination of factual circumstances substantiating or refuting military events in criminal cases initiated during and after military operations; 6. The status of the Armed Forces' support, rearward armament, combat readiness, execution of combat duty rules, troop replenishment, troop service, and intelligence activities; 7. The negotiation process and the end of the 44-day war."

"First and foremost, I believe it is important to mention that after the Prime Minister's public session, I personally want to participate in the committee's meeting, as what is taking place is a constitutional process, and questions concerning my activities as a former Minister of Defense are being addressed, as well as questions of vital and strategic importance to the country and the state. I have significant remarks to present to the committee due to my key role in directing the war. Meanwhile, there is both a demand from the committee and the public to ensure my participation. Additionally, given my current situation of being in custody, it is impossible to conduct the committee's meeting in the penitentiary, since not all members of the committee are parliamentarians (experts, representatives of the extra-parliamentary opposition, parents of the deceased, and secretaries and servicing personnel are also included), and only parliamentarians can gain access under court permission at best, while my request for the committee to hold an open session cannot be ensured. There is also no possibility to ensure the presence of media representatives, as the penitentiary regime is closed. Furthermore, there is very little time left until the end of the committee's activities, and I wish to take advantage of this platform. At the same time, I note that the chairman of the committee has continuously stated that measures will be taken to address my participation, but no action has been taken in this regard so far. Therefore, limiting my opportunity is viewed by me as a violation of my constitutional rights. In light of the above, I request that considering the official invitation from the chairman of the committee to participate in the meeting, I be allowed to attend the work of the National Assembly's Investigative Committee established to study the circumstances of the military operations unleashed on September 27, 2020, to provide explanations and answers to questions," the report concludes.