Transparency International Anti-corruption Center joined a statement issued by "Army in Reality" civic initiative and a number of NGOs in support of impartial, comprehensive investigations on army cases following the letter of the law in order to stop violations in the army and protect human rights despite political or other interests. It reads: "The Cassation Court's decision on December 22, 2006 regarding the case of the deaths of Roman Yeghiazaryan and Hovsep Mkrtumyan, two soldiers from the Mataghis military unit, was exceptional and was the result of dedicated and persistent daily work by citizens, journalists and advocates.

Thus, the decision of the Court of Appeals was overturned for insufficient evidence and a new investigation was ordered. Razmik Sargsyan, Musa Serobyan, and Arayik Zalyan, who had been sentenced to death until that moment, were immediately released from the courtroom.

However, the Military Prosecutor's Office retried the same defendants based on the same indictment from six years prior and without introducing any new evidence. On December 18, 2012, the First Shirak District Court declared the accused innocent, ruling that the incident that the young people were accused of did not happen at the specified time and place. "Considering such evidence, the court finds that Razmik Sargsyan's, Musa Serobyan's, and Arayik Zalyan's relation to the case is questionable and all opportunities for new evidence to prove their guilt are gone." The case has been sent for a new investigation but is still likely to result in an appeal. In fact, the nine-year investigation has not been able to find the real guilty parties.

The public attention focused on the case helped to identify a number of crimes and human rights violations endemic in the Armed Forces and its judicial processes:
- Violence and human rights violations in the Armed Forces, particularly murders or deaths, remain unsolved and unpunished.
- Apparent contradictions in autopsies are not investigated.
- Accusations of torture of suspects and witnesses are not investigated. Moreover, accusations of torture made in court are not investigated or considered by the Court.
- No investigation is made into whether legal time limits on detention of suspects are followed.
- Most cases are founded on one person's confession, which becomes the only version of events pursued by the prosecution, despite the existence of other facts and circumstances.
- Cases are groundlessly delayed in the name of examination and investigators change frequently.

We, the representatives of society who prioritize human rights, announce that the Mataghis case is the result of the united struggle of lawyers and a nine-year fight of citizens, parents, intellectuals, political leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations, members of the Diaspora and international human rights community, journalists, and doctors. We make this statement in the name of eliminating this vicious phenomena concerning army cases, for the triumph of justice in Armenia, for the protection and support of human rights, and in the interest of recovering society's trust in the army and the state.

The pain of each soldier is our pain. The Armed Forces and the judicial system not only leave violations unpunished but also provide a new opportunity for new violence. The number of victims and innocent dead people increases. In order to achieve complete victory in the Mataghis case and others and eliminate the violence in the army, we will seek the real murderers, the perpetrators of judicial violations, and the people who cover them up and save them from proper punishment according to legislation.
We call on representatives of civil society to support an impartial and complete examination in accordance with the law in this and other cases.

Join us and contribute to the elimination of violence in the army and the defense of human rights regardless of political or other interests. We also call on the political parties and unions to take a position on such a vital issue."

The Army in Reality Civil Initiative
Peace Dialogue NGO
Journalists for Human Rights NGO
Transparency International Anti-corruption Centre
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office NGO
Media Support "Internews" NGO
Hope NGO
Yerevan Center for Human Rights Protection NGO
The borders of our Rights NGO
Shirak Center NGO
Yerevan Press Club NGO
New Generation NGO
Guarantee Center of Civil Society NGO
Sose Women's Issues NGO
Journalists' Club "Asparez"
"We Plus" social NGO
Civic Forum NGO
Vow of Ararat NGO
Protection of Human Rights without Borders NGO
Martuni Women's Community Council NGO
Public Information and Need of Knowledge NGO
A.D.Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Centre
Helsinki Committee of Armenia NGO

We welcome more to join this statement.