It is by nature impossible that an order was given to not open fire or not protect the border during border protection. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during today’s question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament, responding to deputy of the opposition “With Honor” faction of the National Assembly Tigran Abrahamyan, who asked who had given the order to not open fire since the video of seizure of one of the Armenian military posts shows the seizure without shootings and asked what is known about the servicemen who were captured and went missing yesterday.

“It is by nature impossible that an order was given to not open fire or not protect the border during border protection. This would be direct state treason. It’s time for us to properly investigate each case of capture. Each person in military service in the Republic of Armenia has duties, and perhaps we acted wrongly in this case as well. We need to investigate to see what it means to be captured and in what circumstances. Military rule books clearly lay down the cases in which being captured is considered a crime. For instance, it is stated that if a person is wounded and in a state of unconsciousness, there can’t be any ‘pretension’, but overall, before spreading such news, I call on you to think that this is not a matter of authorities and opposition. The person who gives an order to not open fire, either verbally or I written form, is committing state treason when it comes to protection of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan stated.

Abrahamyan also asked why the ex-defense minister dismissed and Suren Papikyan was appointed defense minister, to which the premier said the position of minister is a discretionary position and doesn’t believe the details about the change should be made public.