Epress.am News from Armenia
Conscript Narek Avetisyan, 18, yesterday evening underwent surgery in a Yerevan clinic to have his right eye removed following an incident at the infamous Yeghnikner military base in Nagorno-Karabakh, reports local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”). Avetisyan was called to mandatory military service in spring of this year.
Narek’s cousin told the paper that the incident took place on Dec. 14 at 8 am in the military base cafeteria. “Narek was at his field post for two weeks. He had returned to the base [from being out on the field] that day and went to the mess hall in the morning. We don’t know what happened but that officer swiped at Narek with his keys and from the blow, Narek’s eye was knocked out.”
The opposition daily was able to find out that the person who hit Narek was Armen Tovmasyan, a junior officer serving in the Yeghnikner military unit.
The paper also contacted head of the Nagorno-Karabakh de facto Defense Ministry press service Senor Hasratyan, who, upon hearing that the question was connected to Narek Avetisyan, hung up the phone and then stopped answering any calls the paper made.
Meri Sargsyan with the Armenian Defense Ministry investigative service informed the newspaper reporter that a criminal case has not been launched, but the military police are preparing materials for a case.