Tevos Arshakyan. Armenian Report
A new wave of dissatisfaction by the Defense Ministry and its head Seiran Oganyan was caused in society by another incident in the Armenian army, which was connected with the defection by an Armenian soldier Andranik Grigoryan to the enemy side. It should be admitted that the dissatisfaction is deeply reasonable. Seiran Oganyan didn’t wait for the results of the investigation and insulted the family of the soldier, stating that Grigoryan handed himself over to the Azerbaijanis due to relations with his family.
Almost all Armenian media have already reported that Seiran Oganyan told journalists that Andranik Grigoryan has problems in his family.
“The reason can be found in his family conditions. At the moment, an investigation and a criminal case have been initiated; they will make the situation clear. If there was pressure, it came from his family. I should say that his relations with his parents are tense,” Oganyan said. He ruled out a bad attitude to Grigoryan by officers: “He is a contract soldier; he served in a small unit, in a mortar element which provides military supplies. Violations of interpersonal relations are very rare in joint communities of contract soldiers.”
In other words, Oganyan didn’t wait for the results of the investigation and immediately blamed the family of the soldier for the incident. Moreover, after the minister’s statement it is easy to guess what conclusions will be drawn by the officers who are responsible for the investigation and who will become defendants in the criminal case. Of course, these won’t be officers who have already been shielded by Seiran Oganyan. It is a common practice for Oganyan to shift the blame from his employees and accuse soldiers and “personal relations in the family” for incidents which are becoming more frequent every month.
By the way, some media spread a rumor that Grigoryan’s mother is an Azerbaijani, and that on March 22nd he remembered about his genes and shifted to the Azerbaijani side. Even though Grigoryan’s mother is not Azerbaijani, she is an Armenian and a refugee from Baku, somebody needs the rumor in the mass media to strengthen the basis of the cynical lie by Seiran Oganyan.
At the same time, if we imagine that Seiran Oganyan was right, there would be a lot of questions for him anyway. What did officers of the unit and staff psychologists do? Why didn’t they pay attention to the inappropriate behavior of Andranik Grigoryan? If a soldier has a problem, including a problem in his family, officers must not leave the situation without attention, I don’t even mention psychologists who have been involved in the army by the Dfense Ministry. Violation of their direct duties by officers is obvious here. But Oganyan didn’t mention this, blaming Grigoryan’s family for everything.
So, I should agree with the indignant participants in the protest which took place yesterday, on March 26th, in front of the President’s residence. Mothers of soldiers who died under non-war conditions participated in the protest. They didn’t receive fair investigations into the deaths of their sons. According to Irina Gazaryan, mother of Artur who died under non-war conditions, Seiran Oganyan’s statement is the typical modus operandi of the Defense Ministry: they explain not only crossing the border, but also suicides, murders, rapes and humiliations by the bad manners of a soldier.
"When they violate, the family is blamed; when they kill, it happens from a lack of education of the serviceman; when they surrender to the Azerbaijani side, it also comes from the family. Why didn't he come to Azerbaijan before serving in the army? If the Defense Ministry really thinks so, why they do not check the advanced marital status of the recruit? They have been registered since 16 years old. So let them hold a psychological evaluation for these 2 years, to explain who is psychologically ready to serve in the army," Ghazarian said.It is interesting that the family of Andranik, who entered Azerbaijan, was not afraid to deny the charges of the Minister of Defense and even told reporters that the boy during the last leave home asked to change his place of service. According to Andranik's parents, their son had a problem during military service and he reported it to the command of the military unit.And really, if Andranik Grigoryan had problems in the family, then why didn't he go to Azerbaijan before or after the army? Why did he have to risk his life (we all know that the Defense Ministry gave a secret order to shoot anyone who wants to go to the side of enemy)?The reason for Grigoryan's transition to the side of Azerbaijanis is only one. And this is not his family. Villagers of the village of Berdashen in the Martuni region, where he comes from, in one voice say that the guy was normal, unconfrontational, and had no problem in the family. So the reason is just what Grigoryan spoke about on the other side of the border - the Armenian army. The unbearable conditions of service, lack of discipline in military units, lack of food and medicines, the officers’ bad attitude towards the soldiers - that's what prompted Andranik Grigoryan to go over to the enemy. And I have no reason to disbelieve this.During his service something happened that made the Armenian soldier cross the border. And this points to low morale and zero discipline in the most important institution of society, the army. And it cannot fail to excite each of us, given the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the complex geopolitical situation in Armenia.After all, it is clear that the intolerable conditions of service, lack of discipline in military units, lack of food and medicines, the officers’ bad attitude towards the soldiers have extremely negative effect on the psychological state of servicemen. In such circumstances, a soldier is not able to fight well, even though he has the highest value scale. He cannot be a good soldier, because the internal stress caused by external factors changes many things for the worse. And wanting to get away, to escape from these factors, the soldier crosses the front line and surrenders to the enemy.Unfortunately, the Ministry of Defense's opaque work, lack of control on the part of civil society, and even that of deputies, will continue to lead to sad (I would even say - shameful) incidents in the Armenian army. In any democratic country, the incidents of leaving service and desertion to the enemy are investigated more carefully.And the results of investigations certainly made the public want those responsible, regardless of past achievements and the number of stars on their shoulder straps, including even defense ministers, to be punished. Unfortunately, in our country, it is still a distant dream. Seyran Ohanyan and all the Armenian generals, who are tightly fused with the state apparatus, are beyond the criticism of the government and the president, and that leads to their impunity. As a result, soldiers themselves and their families become guilty of incidents in the Armenian army, but never their fatherly commanders."When they violate, the family is blamed; when they kill, it happens from a lack of education of the serviceman; when they surrender to the Azerbaijani side, it also comes from the family. Why didn't he come to Azerbaijan before serving in the army? If the Defense Ministry really thinks so, why they do not check the advanced marital status of the recruit? They have been registered since 16 years old. So let them hold a psychological evaluation for these 2 years, to explain who is psychologically ready to serve in the army," Ghazarian said.
It is interesting that the family of Andranik, who entered Azerbaijan, was not afraid to deny the charges of the Minister of Defense and even told reporters that the boy during the last leave home asked to change his place of service. According to Andranik's parents, their son had a problem during military service and he reported it to the command of the military unit.
And really, if Andranik Grigoryan had problems in the family, then why didn't he go to Azerbaijan before or after the army? Why did he have to risk his life (we all know that the Defense Ministry gave a secret order to shoot anyone who wants to go to the side of enemy)?
The reason for Grigoryan's transition to the side of Azerbaijanis is only one. And this is not his family. Villagers of the village of Berdashen in the Martuni region, where he comes from, in one voice say that the guy was normal, unconfrontational, and had no problem in the family. So the reason is just what Grigoryan spoke about on the other side of the border - the Armenian army. The unbearable conditions of service, lack of discipline in military units, lack of food and medicines, the officers’ bad attitude towards the soldiers - that's what prompted Andranik Grigoryan to go over to the enemy. And I have no reason to disbelieve this.
During his service something happened that made the Armenian soldier cross the border. And this points to low morale and zero discipline in the most important institution of society, the army. And it cannot fail to excite each of us, given the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the complex geopolitical situation in Armenia.
After all, it is clear that the intolerable conditions of service, lack of discipline in military units, lack of food and medicines, the officers’ bad attitude towards the soldiers have extremely negative effect on the psychological state of servicemen. In such circumstances, a soldier is not able to fight well, even though he has the highest value scale. He cannot be a good soldier, because the internal stress caused by external factors changes many things for the worse. And wanting to get away, to escape from these factors, the soldier crosses the front line and surrenders to the enemy.
Unfortunately, the Ministry of Defense's opaque work, lack of control on the part of civil society, and even that of deputies, will continue to lead to sad (I would even say - shameful) incidents in the Armenian army. In any democratic country, the incidents of leaving service and desertion to the enemy are investigated more carefully.
And the results of investigations certainly made the public want those responsible, regardless of past achievements and the number of stars on their shoulder straps, including even defense ministers, to be punished. Unfortunately, in our country, it is still a distant dream. Seyran Ohanyan and all the Armenian generals, who are tightly fused with the state apparatus, are beyond the criticism of the government and the president, and that leads to their impunity. As a result, soldiers themselves and their families become guilty of incidents in the Armenian army, but never their fatherly commanders.
