Deputy Commander of Battalion Abandoned Battlefield During 44-Day War: Investigative Committee

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has revealed instances of alleged crimes committed by military personnel in responsible positions during the 44-day war. Specifically, Major A.S., the deputy commander and chief of staff of the 3rd rifle battalion stationed at Military Unit N of the Ministry of Defense, abandoned the battlefield during active combat on October 2, 2020, from 06:00 to 08:00 am, amidst the aggressive war unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh.

On November 21, 2023, a decision was made to initiate public criminal prosecution against A.S. under the first part of Article 380 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, adopted on April 18, 2003, which corresponds to the first part of Article 546 of the Criminal Code that came into force on July 1, 2022.

Furthermore, during the same wartime conditions on October 2, 2020, Senior Lieutenant V.T., the commander of the fire support squad of the infantry platoon, and Senior Lieutenant R.Q., the platoon commander of the infantry unit from the same military unit, also refused to fulfill their specific military duties while conducting combat operations in the same defense sector, specifically the “Marjanlu-Nyuzgher” front line.

Decisions were made to initiate public criminal prosecutions against V.T. and R.Q. under the third part of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, which corresponds to the third part of Article 529 of the new Criminal Code.

All three individuals have been arrested, and charges have been brought against them, with preventive measures applied. The preliminary investigation continues.

Notice: A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a legally binding court verdict in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia.