On February 9, 2023, the prosecutor, supervising over the legality of criminal proceedings examined in the 5th Garrison Investigative Unit of the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, examining the materials of the criminal proceedings  and based on the combination of sufficient facts of the proceedings, rendered a decision on February 9, 2023 on initiating a public criminal prosecution against G.M., commander of engineer-depot company  of the N military unit of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia under the article 550, part 3 of the Criminal Code of the RA.

 

G.M., commander of engineer-depot company of the military unit, being obliged to ensure the availability of weapons, military equipment, and other means, being responsible for the economic management of the company both during war and peace, as well as being obliged to organize the timely delivery of weapons, military equipment, and other means, check their availability at least once a month, monitor the firefighting events in the company, made reports on the detected issues,  did not perform the mentioned duties as a result of dishonest and negligent attitude towards the performance of his official duties. As a result negligently caused the death of the soldiers.  

 

Particularly, on the 19th of January, 2023, after midnight, an officer of the engineering service of the N military unit of the Ministry of Defense of the RA, in violation of the established order, lit the wood-stove with gasoline, as a result of which a fire broke out in the shelter, located at house 20 of the 1st street of Azat village, Gegharkunik region, a shelter intended for the personnel of the above-mentioned unit. Due to the absence of relevant fire protection means and reserve exit, the soldiers not only failed to put the fire out, but also to break the iron bars of the shelter’s windows and get out. As a result, 15 compulsory military servants of the same troop, resting in the shelter, died, the officer and 4 compulsory military servants got bodily injuries of various degree.

 

Notice:  A person charged with any crime shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code—by the judgment came into legal force.