Indictment filed against Armenian General Makaryan

The indictment has been issued on the case of Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces Andranik Makaryan; Commander of one of the country’s military units Arsen Abgaryan, who was acting commander of Sarkis Kulakchyan’s military unit, as well as on the case of the head of the Replenishment Department of Ellada Harutyunyan’s military unit, at a hearing in the Armenian Anti-Corruption Court.

The mother of a missing Armenian soldier said that Andranik Makaryan told the court that he did not accept the charges against him, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“They do not plead guilty. He says they were following someone else's orders. So, let him say whose orders they were following. They knew that the territory in question had already been seized, and yet they sent the boys there, so they should be punished. They are running away from their parents because they don't know what to tell them," said the mother of the missing serviceman.

According to the conviction, General Makaryan, who was responsible for the special combat mission in Gubadli, having learned that Arsen Abgaryan's group was surrounded, did not rush to help, gave orders to retreat and returned to the Gafan city. As a result, five out of 40 servicemen of Abgaryan's "military unit of chemists" were taken prisoner, 12 were killed, and the remaining 23 servicemen, together with a bus driver, went missing.

Makaryan is charged with inaction and faces 7 to 13 years imprisonment.

The parents of Armenian soldiers have the results of DNA tests issued by the Health Ministry, which have been identified with the remains taken from Gubadli. However, many parents are sceptical about the forensic examination results.