Monday, November 15, 2010

Armenian Army Scrambles To Tackle Abuse After Spate Of Deaths

http://www.rferl.org/content/Armenian_Army_Scrambles_To_Tackle_Abuse_After_Spate_Of_Deaths_/2218429.html

November 12, 2010

by Irina Hovhannisyan, Suren Musayelyan

YEREVAN --
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian this month faced the uneasy task of comforting parents whose sons were found dead after suffering vicious treatment in the army.

The meeting, in which the minister vowed to harshly punish the culprits, was part of his uphill battle to rehabilitate the army's image following a spate of suspicious deaths that have caused nationwide outrage and an online video showing an officer brutalizing young conscripts.

Speaking in a television interview this week, Ohanian declared war on the rampant abuse, corruption, and mismanagement that have plagued the country's army. The armed forces, he acknowledged, will have to work hard to regain the trust of soldiers' parents.

His remarks echoed an earlier pledge made this summer following a shooting rampage that left six soldiers dead.

"As the defense minister of the Republic of Armenia, I am fully aware of our army's problems. I want to assure you that the leadership of the armed forces has done and is doing everything to root out the causes of such incidents and to prevent human losses," Ohanian said.

Ohanian's campaign to make the army more accountable marks a strong departure from the secrecy that shrouded the army under his predecessors.

Military 'Impunity'

Many Armenians, weary of the impunity that the army has enjoyed over the past two decades, have welcomed his humble tone and his determination in punishing abusive officers.

Dozens of servicemen have been suspended or demoted this year on charges of abusing fellow soldiers, and many face stiff prison sentences.

The Defense Ministry has set up a board composed of human rights activists, doctors, and psychologists to scrutinize the treatment of soldiers.

The ministry has also submitted to parliament draft legislation that would allow soldiers to challenge unlawful orders from their superiors.

Gegham Harutiunian, one of Ohanian's aides, says the Defense Ministry's campaign to crack down on army abuse is bearing fruit.

"Today, it seems unimaginable that a case involving someone abusing his position and acting against his subordinate would remain undisclosed and the perpetrator would go unpunished. We clearly see that this policy is being pursued," Harutiunian said.

Ohanian and his ministry nonetheless face lingering public resentment over the recent deaths.

Among the victims is 30-year-old Artak Nazarian, a junior officer who military investigators say shot himself in July following mistreatment at his unit in northeast Armenia.

Hazing Video

Nazarian's relatives, however, believe he was murdered and claim the forensic examination found evidence that he had been physically abused.

Speaking to RFE/RL Nazarian's mother, Hasmik Hovannisian, said, "Who will stop these criminals? How can mothers send their sons to the army now? Who will give us answers? The man I sent to the army was sound and healthy. Bring my son back."

One day after Nazarian's death, six servicemen were found shot dead at a unit deployed in the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. The army says one of the servicemen, a young conscript, went on a shooting spree and killed himself after a bitter dispute with an officer.
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian


The serviceman's family, too, has challenged this account and accused the military of covering up the truth.

In the latest incident to rock the army, a senior officer assaulted an 18-year-old at his unit near Yerevan in late October.

Erik Grigorian was hospitalized with multiple injuries, including a broken nose. His father, Gagik, said he was brutally beaten up for more than one hour in front of other servicemen.

"He allegedly failed to report for duty in the morning and was brutally beaten for this. He was battered. Erik's fellow soldiers say they were too scared to stop the beating," Grigorian said.

The officer has since been charged over the beating and awaits trial on charges that could send him to prison for up to five years.

The release of a video showing an army officer slapping and humiliating two soldiers has further stoked public anger.

The army tracked down and detained the officer after initially questioning the authenticity of the clip, posted on the Internet in September. He, too, faces up to five years in jail if convicted.

Like many Armenians, many rights campaigners have praised Ohanian's unprecedented efforts to punish abusive servicemen.

But some say the recent violence shows the army is losing its battle against abuse and are calling on Ohanian to step down.

"If the actions ordered by the defense minister produce no results, then he must resign," says Artur Sakunts, the head of Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Armenia rights group. "On the other hand, replacing one person obviously would not have any impact because the problem is systemic."

Claire Bigg contributed to this story

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

President Sarkisian Comments on Abuse in Army

Sat, Nov 6 2010
By:Armenian Weekly



YEREVAN (A.W.) - On. Oct. 23, Armenia's President Serge Sarkisian talked to the press during his visit to the Shirak region, mainly discussing issues related to Armenia's economy and its military.


Sarkisian talking to the press in Shirak. Answering a question about the increasing news reports of abuse in the Armenian army, Sarkisian said:

`Our army has never been void of incidents; there has never been a year without causalities among the soldiers or officers or without tragic accidents because our army is a huge structure and our army is on active duty and, finally, any army is the indivisible part of the society. Army is the mirror of the society and all failings and problems that exist in the society to a greater or lesser degree will always be present in the army - be it in Armenia, the United States, India, or elsewhere.'

He noted, however, that the army is, undoubtedly, becoming stronger by the day:

`Undoubtedly, the army is a much more organized, much more disciplined, much more enhanced structure than any other structures and our demands with regard to the army are much higher than those with regard to other structures. From this point of view, of course I am concerned with all those incidents that are taking place in our armed forces. However I don't for a moment doubt that every day, every hour our army becomes more combat ready, our army continues to improve and I am confident that every Armenian ought to be proud of our army.'

The president said he `salutes' those who criticize the abuse in army because their heart aches for what is happening, but criticized those who are using the army to gain `political dividends.'

`I salute all those persons who view our army as the apple of our eye, our pride, the safeguard of our honor and our dignity. I also salute all those who speak about the existing deficiencies in our army, but speak with heartache, speak to have a better army tomorrow, so that less young people or officers die in the army. I apologize for harsh words, generally I refrain from using harsh words but I despise all those individuals who are trying to get political dividends at the expense of the army and first all those individuals who tried to serve in the army and failed, all those individuals who tried to get engaged in the army building process but only harmed the process.'