Lawyer on Tiran Khachatryan’s Negligent Conduct

After nearly 5 years of investigation, law enforcement has concluded that General Tiran Khachatryan, awarded the title of National Hero at the behest of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, failed in the defense of his entrusted sector. According to the Investigative Committee, the senior military officer neglected his duties during the period from October 7 to 17, 2020.

“It’s incomprehensible. After these actions, Mr. Khachatryan is awarded the title of National Hero, and 4.5 years later, charges are brought against him and he is detained for those very same actions,” his lawyer Armen Andrikan said in an interview with Azatutyun.

The defense team for the Lieutenant General asserts that both Khachatryan's detention and the charges brought against him lack legal grounds. Yesterday, the Investigative Committee revealed some details from the extensive criminal case.

Law enforcement claims that Khachatryan, who was the commander of the southern grouping of forces during the 44-day war, displayed negligence in his official duties. More specifically, he did not establish a command center for the southern grouping with all its components and failed to fully implement a number of management measures typical for command during combat operations, which carelessly led to severe consequences.

Lieutenant General Khachatryan's lawyer, Armen Andrikan, countered that the claims made by law enforcement have no connection to reality. “Yes, some consequences occurred, events that you mention did take place, but they are not linked to the so-called negligent behavior displayed by Tiran Khachatryan. We argue that there was no negligence; the actions or inactions identified by the Investigative Committee in the charges did not occur and there is no causal link between Tiran Khachatryan's actions and the consequences,” he stated.

It should be noted that Tiran Khachatryan has been detained.