Armenian: Ex. Defense Minister Exposes Pashinyan’s Capitulation, Revealing Armenia’s Multiple 44-Day Setbacks during the First Karabakh War 1992 – 1994 but Also Highlighting Their Ultimate Victory Video
On Tuesday, former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan testified before Armenian pro-government lawmakers, despite being held in detention and standing trial on corruption charges, which he vehemently denies. Armenian ExDefense Minister Testifies on 44-Day War Before Parliament Panel which has been boycotted by opposition
Tonoyan appeared before an ad hoc parliamentary commission responsible for investigating the reasons behind Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. However, the two opposition blocs in the National Assembly refused to participate, arguing that the commission was established to whitewash Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wartime incompetence and disastrous decision-making.
In his opening remarks to the media, Tonoyan urged an end to the opposition boycott. He clarified that his decision to testify before the panel, which consists of Pashinyan’s political allies, should not be interpreted as a sign of any “deal” with the Armenian government.
Gegham Manukyan, a lawmaker representing the main opposition Hayastan alliance, promptly rejected Tonoyan’s appeal, reiterating the opposition’s belief that Pashinyan’s regime cannot impartially examine its own actions.
The commission has been conducting inquiries for a year, questioning numerous current and former government officials, including Prime Minister Pashinyan and military officers. When the prime minister testified in June, he defended his handling of the 2020 war and shifted some blame for the outcome onto Armenia’s top military leadership. Onik Gasparyan, the former army chief of staff during the war, contested some of Pashinyan’s claims.
Tonoyan confirmed Gasparyan’s earlier statement that shortly after the outbreak of hostilities in September 2020, the latter warned the country’s political leadership about an impending defeat. Additionally, Tonoyan pointed out that Turkey’s direct military intervention significantly impacted Azerbaijan’s victory, catching the Armenian military by surprise. He stated that they had not anticipated Turkish armed forces operating just 25-45 kilometers away from the Artsakh theater of war.
Tonoyan was dismissed as defense minister following the war and subsequently arrested in 2021 as part of a criminal investigation into alleged supplies of faulty ammunition to the Armenian Air Force. Alongside two army generals and an arms dealer, he faced trial in 2022, with all parties denying the fraud and embezzlement charges brought against them.