Two years after the fire in a military barracks in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik Province, Armenia, no significant progress has been made, raising more questions than authorities have answered. This was stated by Norik Norikyan, the victims’ legal representative, during a press conference.

According to Norikyan, the authorities have shown a negligent and unprofessional attitude toward the case. “Two years were more than enough to shed light on the matter,” Sputnik Armenia reports.

In court proceedings, 14 out of 19 victims have testified. Norikyan noted that two parents have died during the trial. The owner of the barracks and others have not been questioned.

“Only 4 out of 38 witnesses have been questioned so far. In the upcoming hearings, both the commanding officers of the military unit and higher-ranking representatives from the General Staff will be interrogated.

We received a response acknowledging our request and promising to consider the raised concerns. We expected nothing more,” Norikyan said.

The lawyer emphasized that conflicting testimonies from victims and witnesses have created significant distrust in the investigation. He reiterated that “two years were entirely sufficient to uncover the truth.”

*On January 19, 2023, shortly after midnight, a fire broke out in the barracks of an Armenian Defense Ministry engineering and sapper company in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik Province. The incident claimed the lives of 15 soldiers and injured 7 others.

Following the tragedy, the commander of the 2nd Army Corps and several senior military officials were dismissed. Criminal cases were initiated concerning fire safety violations and alleged negligence by other officials.*