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YEREVAN. – A group of military officers of Armenia on Monday are staging a protest outside the government building, and they are demanding an impartial investigation into the beating of Lieutenant Colonel Ara Mkhitaryan.

“The provincial governor of Vayots Dzor (…) is attempting to exclude his participation from the incident,” said reserve Colonel Karen Hakobyan, an organizer of this demonstration. “Second, [the governor is attempting] to put the blame on  the [beaten] officer. (...). Today [this] officer is fighting for his life, and God forbid that he die.”

Also, the picketing military officers called on the police chief and the prosecutor general to take this case under their personal supervision.

On September 17, at about 11:40pm, a scuffle took place at the courtyard of a building in Yeghegnadzor town—and involving Lieutenant Colonel Ara Mkhitaryan and Harutyun Grigoryan, assistant to the governor of Vayots Dzor Province.

The suspect, a 28-year-old resident of Yeghegnadzor, and three to four people who had come there upon a telephone call, attempted to get clarification, and they beat the military officer during the ensuing fight.

The suspect punched Lieutenant Colonel Mkhitaryan once in the head, causing him to fall.

Charges were filed against Grigoryan, and he was arrested.

The investigation revealed that in addition to the abovementioned officer, two more officers from the same military unit were also injured during the aforesaid argument.

There are reports that Vayots Dzor Governor Trdat Sargsyan also was involved in the incident; these reports are being checked.

Lieutenant Colonel Ara Mkhitaryan was taken to hospital, where he underwent an emergency operation. He is in very critical condition.

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