GOVERNMENT’S LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE MAKES ATTEMPT TO CREATE INDEPENDENT MILITARY INVESTIGATION BODY
Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2007
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. At the October 23 sitting, the RA
National Assembly in the first reading discussed the legislative
package introduced by the government, which envisages to make
amendments to the RA Code of Criminal Procedure, laws On Doing Military
Service, and On Social Security of Servicemen and Their Families.
As Artur Aghabekian, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee
on Defence, National Security, and Internal Affairs, said in
his speech, the legislative initiative’s goal is to separate the
military investigation body as a subdivision, which will be within
the jurisdiction of the Defence Minister.
According to A. Aghabekian, such an investigation body existed earlier
as part of the Military Police working within the jurisdiction of the
General Headquarters of RA Armed Forces, then, as a result of court
and legal reforms, two years ago, it was included in the Military
Prosecutor’s Office as its part.
A. Aghabekian said that the legislative changes being made are
harmonious with the large program of reforms in the defence sphere
envisaged by the IPAP program of cooperation with NATO, within the
framework of which the Defence Ministry prepares a great number
of bills.
The members of the OYP and Zharangutiun (Heritage) factions expressed
anxiety about the lack of guarantees of the military investigation
body’s independence. As Larisa Alaverdian mentioned, there are many
cases when military crimes were committed with the connivance of
high-ranking servicemen or the latters tried to to slur them over
and to defend those guilty.
According to A. Aghabekian, the guarantee of the military investigation
body’s independence is that the head of any military sudivision himself
is interested in disclosure of crimes committed by the servicemen
under his subordination and punishment of those guilty. He considers
that otherwise the given subdivision will lose its fighting efficiency.