The accusations stem from the acquisition in 2016 of what they call faulty military equipment from Russia. A prosecutor in charge of the case, Karen Karapetian, told Armenian Public Television on Wednesday that the mobile fire-control systems were supplied to the Armenian army’s artillery units in 2017. They “failed to fulfill the tasks set before them and did not match their tactical and technical characteristics in practical conditions,” Karapetian said, adding that “negligence” shown by Hakobian and another senior general cost the state 4.3 billion drams ($11 million).
Hakobian, who served as chief of the General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces from 2016-2018, denied the accusations through his lawyer, Mushegh Aleksanian. The latter insisted that the arms deal “had nothing to do with him” because it was sanctioned by a “superior body.” He did not elaborate.
Aleksanian also told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the criminal case would have been closed had his client agreed to invoke the statute of limitations. Hakobian decided instead to prove his innocence in court, according to the lawyer.
Pashinian sacked Hakobian shortly after coming to power in May 2018. The prime minister went on to appoint him as Armenia’s chief military inspector. The general resigned from that post in the wake of Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.
Speaking at a news conference held the day after his resignation, Hakobian claimed that disastrous decisions made by Pashinian allowed Azerbaijan to make sweeping territorial gains during the six-week war. In particular, he said, three days after the outbreak of the hostilities on September 27, 2020 Pashinian stopped the reinforcement of Armenian army units with reservists and sent instead volunteers to Nagorno-Karabakh. He said many of them were poorly trained and could not help frontline troops struggling to repel Azerbaijani attacks.
The Karabakh-born general also criticized in November 2020 arms acquisitions carried out by Armenia’s current leadership. He singled out the purchase of Russian Su-30SM fighter jets and second-hand air-defense systems, saying that none of them proved useful in the war. Pashinian strongly denied the allegations.
Hakobian, 60, was charged in May 2021 with disclosing state secrets and went on trial afterwards. The trial is still going on behind the closed doors.
Several other Armenian generals, including two former commanders of the Karabakh army, have also been standing trial on different charges also denied by them. Armenian opposition leaders have criticized those trials, saying that they are part of Pashinian’s efforts to deflect blame for the disastrous war. They hold him primarily responsible for Armenia’s defeat. The premier has put the blame on the country’s former leaders.