Gohar Meloyan: Additional facts on the Lele Tepe operation
Additional facts related to Edgar Elbakyan’s allegations.
Gohar Meloyan’s Facebook post on April 11, 2021
Translated from Armenian by Hovik Manucharyan
Additional facts ❗️❗❗
Reading the well-founded and detailed article by Edgar Elbakyan about the military adventurism launched on October 6, which broke the backbone of the Artsakh Defense Army and predetermined the outcome of the third Artsakh war, it is necessary to touch upon additional facts confirming the above allegations.
1️⃣ First, on October 8, when the military operation in Lele Tepe had completely failed, as a result of which the Armenian side:
- had more than 600 casualties,
- the best standing and reserve forces of the Artsakh Defense Army were liquidated,
- the enemy captured Mekhakavan (Jebrayil),
- and approached Hadrut…
the Government of the Republic of Armenia made amendments to the Government Decision “On Declaring Martial Law in the Republic of Armenia”, SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITING THE RULES OF DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE WAR.
Thus, from October 8, publicizing the following was prohibited:
- Information criticizing, denying, questioning the efficiency, or in any other way diminishing the activities or speeches of officials and official state bodies related to the enactment of the martial law and ensuring national security;
- Propaganda countering the defense capacity and security of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh Republic, including publications that put under doubt the defense capacity of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh Republic.
Moreover, on October 8, the day of the disgraceful failure of the aforementioned military operation, the government simultaneously initiated amendments to the RA Criminal Code and the Code on Administrative Offenses, envisaging criminal and administrative penalties for violations of the rules restricting the dissemination of information during the war. The amendments were fully adopted by the National Assembly on October 9 and entered into force the next day, October 10.
❓As a result, a reasonable question arises. Why only 12 days after the start of the war did the ruling party impose restrictions on the dissemination of information with lightning speed?
❗️The answer is obvious: the authorities had the task of hiding at all costs the information about the most gross military mistake made by the Armenian side during all three Artsakh wars.
According to many Armenian and foreign military analysts, this disgraceful military operation completely predetermined the outcome of the war, as a result of which the enemy easily captured Jebrayil and Araler and entered Hadrut almost without resistance, opening the way for Azerbaijani armed forces to Fuzuli, Khudaferin, Zangelan and Kubatlu.
12 days after the war and in a single day, the insidious ruling power made the aforementioned restrictions to dissemination of information with the sole intention being to hide from its own people the mentioned defeat and the resulting situation.
Moreover, those who followed the news carefully in those days will confirm that since October 8, certain circles began circulating the theory of traitors on the front lines in order to cover up information about the disgraceful military operation. Meanwhile, the ruling powers intensified even further the “victorious” propaganda on the course of war.
2️⃣ And, secondly, on the same day when the notorious Lele Tepe operation was to take place, the RA Prime Minister gave an interview to RBK media, in which he revealed the details of the Armenian military operation, which should be subject of a mandatory investigation, in order to determine whether it was a planned conspiracy or extreme ineptness, which by the way is also punishable.
