Soldier Driven to Suicide; Officer Accused of Cover-Up

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated in the General Military Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee regarding the case of driving a serviceman to suicide has been completed. The message released by the Investigative Committee states that during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, apparent factual data were obtained that two conscript servicemen of an RA MoD military unit, by displaying cruel treatment towards a conscript serviceman of the same military unit, negligently drove the latter to suicide.

Specifically, two servicemen, for various reasons, regularly used sexual-themed profanities against S.H., and then, as a group, displayed cruel treatment towards him, causing bodily injuries. During the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, it was revealed that the bodily injury on the serviceman's face was noticed by the deputy commander for the rear of the rifle battalion of the RA MoD military unit, who, upon finding out that the said injuries were caused by two servicemen of the military unit, did not report the crime as required by law, but instead ordered the injury in the serviceman's eye area to be covered with makeup.

Thus, as a result of the actions of the three individuals described above, S.H. fired two shots in the jaw area with his assigned automatic rifle, committing suicide. Public criminal prosecution has been initiated against two individuals under Article 522, Part 2, Point 1 of the Criminal Code (driving a serviceman to suicide by negligence by a group of persons), and against one person under Article 549, Part 3 (exceeding or abusing authority).

Detention has been applied as a measure of restraint against two individuals, and house arrest against one. The criminal proceedings with the indictment have been sent to the supervising prosecutor.