Twenty Armenian citizens charged with high treason (video)

YEREVAN, Feb. 17. /ARKA/. Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) said today the investigation into a high treason and espionage case involving 20 former and active military officers, revealed that the latter collected and transmitted military information from the battlefields to a foreign intelligence service during the 2020 autumn war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

‘As a result of their anti-state activities during the fierce periods of the war the enemy had a clear idea of the Armenian troops deployment, the types and quantity of their weapons, their offensive, defensive and strategic redeployments - up to the specific geographical coordinates on the maps,” the NSS said today.

It said the enemy used this information to attack the Armenian troops by drones and artillery installations.

‘It is indicative that the foreign intelligence service recruited former or active servicemen into the espionage network who by virtue of their service could enter the territory of military units in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, visit the fighting posts and have access to a variety of documents and information,’ the NSS said.

These persons secretly made video recordings, fixed the types and quantity of military equipment, the movements of military units, photographed the maps of strategic importance, obtained other information and passed it to the representatives of foreign intelligence in return for money.

According to NSS, 20 persons were charged with committing and aiding high treason, 14 of whom were arrested.

“Comprehensive operational and intelligence measures and investigative actions are being taken to detect all members of the spy network, to initiate criminal proceedings against them and to neutralize foreign intelligence activities in the Armenian Armed Forces,’ the statement said.

The NSS said also that numerous other cases were uncovered involving Armenian military, who collected and transmitted information and documents of strategic importance to representatives of foreign intelligence services during the 2020 war, ‘thereby weakening the security of their country and helping the enemy to solve its combat tasks and gain a significant advantage on the battlefield.’ -0-