On January 30, 2023, the supervising prosecutor exercising oversight over the lawfulness of pre-trial criminal proceedings made a decision on initiating a public criminal prosecution against M.S. Major, Head of utility operations, head of the fire protection and rescue service of the N military unit of RA MD under part 3 of article 550 of the RA Criminal Code.  

 

On January 31, 2023, M.S. was arrested.

 

Due to the investigative and other prosecutorial activities undertaken during the preliminary examination of the criminal proceedings examined in the 5th Garrison Investigative Unit of the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, sufficient facts were obtained, that M.S. being the commander and an official and being responsible for the organization of fire protection, constant preparation of fire extinguishing measures, training of the staff on fire safety requirements, recording of the technical condition of fire extinguishers, installation of fire extinguishers in all types of shelters, the latter unscrupulously and negligently treated his official duties and failed to fulfill the abovementioned obligations and as a result negligently caused the death of the soldiers.  

 

We would like to remind that on January 19, 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 1^st 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.