Hearing Continues on 15 Soldiers Who Died in Barracks: Details

Today, the hearing continued regarding the case of the 15 soldiers who died at the military barracks in Azat village. The first witness questioned was Edgar Misakyan, the former head of the engineering service of the military corps. The witness stated that he had been to the Azat village barracks in the past, but his visit was related to equipping combat positions and checking equipment. He did not conduct any inspections at the barracks.

When asked by the public prosecutor when the battalion was stationed at the specified barracks, he said he could not remember: “I had my own tasks related to visiting combat positions; my responsibility was engineering support.” He also noted that it would be foolish to mention any names. “I only recognize Yeghishe Hakobyan among the defendants; I met him a couple of times when providing material assistance. I cannot say anything either positive or negative,” the witness said.

The representative of the victims, Norik Norikyane, inquired about the circumstances under which the duty officer of the corps called him and informed him about the incident, questioning what important official he was for that call. The witness could not answer this question. He also recounted that the barracks duty officer had informed him about the incident, but afterward, he could not remember with whom he connected to confirm that information.

According to the relevant article of the law, the witness was obliged to inspect the status of engineering weapons in the battalion’s divisions and reserves at least twice a year. Norikyan then asked when the last inspection was conducted in that battalion, reminding him that he was obliged to inspect in 2022, but the witness did not specify a timeframe.

Next, questions were raised about whether there had been any weapons or ammunition at the barracks. In response, he stated, “Their equipment was parked there, but I did not notice any ammunition inside the barracks. There was no ammunition during the inspection.”

“You are giving illogical answers,” Norikyan said. They also asked whether he had entered and examined all the rooms in the barracks and if he had seen any weapons. In response, the witness stated that he had not seen any.

The presiding officer added that many witnesses in this case have indicated that there were weapons in the barracks, even specifying locations: “How are we to understand you now? Should we record that you have not been there? Are you not telling the truth to the court?”