Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has refused to provide Hetq with a list of people working within the ministry’s headquarters.

Hetq requested such a list after a top government official claimed that for years a number of high-ranking officials have been sending their sons to the ministry’s office to work as assistants and clerks.

In response to Hetq’s inquiry regarding the number of soldiers working as assistants for the defense minister and his deputies during the past ten years, the ministry replied that there haven’t been any.

Thus, the ministry neither confirms nor denies that conscript soldiers have been working at the ministry.

Given the new government’s order to investigate whether the sons of current and former officials actually performed their compulsory military service, Hetq asked the ministry to provide the names of people who have worked at the ministry during the past decade. Hetq only requested the names, and not any other personal data.

The ministry has refused to provide such a list, arguing that providing such personal information about conscript soldiers “could be regarded as a violation of the law”.

The ministry also refused, based on the same argument, to provide the names of military personnel serving at Armenian embassies abroad. The ministry did say that military personnel were selected to serve at Armenian diplomatic posts overseas based on their physical preparedness and language skills.

Top photo: mil.am