An interview with RA Military Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan, now in Artsakh to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent death of a soldier.

On August 26, conscript Aghasi Abrahamyan died at the NKR "Yeghnik" military base. What have you uncovered so far?

There are several episodes to the issue and the top-ranking officer involved has been arrested. The investigation is continuing but I do not think it prudent to reveal all the details at the moment.

But I can assure you that everything is being done to get to the bottom of the case. When all the facts are in place, only then will we make the case public.

How long will you stay in Artsakh?

For as long as it takes.

Why the recent rise in deaths and suicides within the army in non-military situations?

I wouldn't call it a rise in incidents. When it comes to suicides we also have to consider cases where there are psychological, economic and moral factors. These play a role in suicides throughout society as a whole.

When it comes to the military and instances of violence, we must take steps to raise the level of order within the ranks. This will directly lead to a decrease in such acts of violence.

There has been no increase in acts of violence within the military but there is surely a need to increase the level of monitoring regarding maintain order. Such a drive must not only include law enforcement but the entire defense system.

Social structures also have their part to play – schools, the family, etc.

Why? Because such unruliness doesn't start in the military. It may come to the surface in the military but its roots go deeper.

Don't you believe that order within the military ranks has decreased and that there is a lack of oversight?

I wouldn't say that it has decreased. I have been encouraged to see that the NKR Defense Ministry has followed a well defined policy of establishing order within the military. They are pursuing a long-term and systematic plan of action that encompasses several spheres of educational and instructional training.

Why doesn't society as a whole believe that law enforcement is impartial when it comes to investigating deaths of soldiers within the military? Every Thursday, outside the RA Government Building, the parents of soldiers who have died gather to protest.

I have met with all the parents and discussed their cases. I'd divide such cases in two. There are parents whose cases are still ongoing and others where the guilty have been charged and found guilty and punished. However, for various psychological reasons, these parents still cannot come to grips with the deaths of their loved ones.

It's a very subjective matter. They do not see any closure even though the guilty have been prosecuted.