Armenia addresses allegations of abuse in women’s army battalion

Scandal has erupted in Armenia after reports surfaced of mistreatment within a women’s army battalion in Yerevan, prompting the Defence Ministry to issue a formal statement.

The controversy began on September 23, when a contracted serviceman from one of the military units filed a report with the military police, alleging misconduct, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

The complaint has since been referred to the investigative authorities.

The issue drew further attention after a female soldier gave an interview to local journalists, accusing senior officers of abusive treatment.

She claimed that pregnant women were forced to run distances of 3 or even 10 kilometres in body armour while carrying weapons, and that complaints to the military police were routinely ignored.

In another twist, media outlets reported that one soldier attempted to leave her unit to take her concerns directly to the Defence Ministry. However, she was intercepted en route by the military police.

By Aghakazim Guliyev