Armenian general stresses need to prevent soldier fatalities in army

The First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Edvard Asryan, acknowledged that there are shortcomings regarding the cases of soldier fatalities in the army.

Asryan stated, “We are all, starting with myself, carrying out all necessary preventive and awareness-raising measures. It must be understood that corrupt morals penetrate the army from society. Our main task in this regard is to eradicate them," Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media,

He noted that the army includes individuals with varying backgrounds and upbringings, and the process of eliminating corrupt morals is very complex, requiring a step-by-step approach.

“I’m not saying there are no shortcomings in the army, from the squad leader to the highest command levels. But we will address all the challenges before us to minimize such incidents,” Asryan said.

To note, according to reports from Armenian media, the deaths of soldiers in the Armenian army are increasingly linked to suicides resulting from harassment. Despite claims from the Armenian government that measures are being implemented to reform the military, harassment-related suicides remain a persistent issue.

One notable case is that of soldier Aghasi Dallakyan, who tragically took his own life on October 13 after enduring harassment from officers and fellow soldiers in his unit. His body was discovered at a military base, with a gunshot wound to his chin.

In another instance, the Investigative Committee reported in September that soldier Edgar Aleksanyan also committed suicide after facing continuous humiliation and physical abuse from a fellow soldier.

Furthermore, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor revealed that twenty-seven soldiers died in the Armenian military during the first half of 2024, with four deaths classified as suicides and three as homicides.

By Khagan Isayev