Ombudsman blasts Armenian army for lack of action on deaths and abuses of soldiers

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan has said that efforts to prevent deaths in the Armenian armed forces do not meet established standards.

She made the remarks during an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary commission on human rights and public affairs, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"Sadly, we cannot discuss the certainty of accountability, as we do not observe any consequences for those who have mistreated others, engaged in violent behaviour, led individuals to suicide, or caused fatalities," she stated.

The ombudsman also stressed that investigations into cases of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in Armenia fail to comply with international standards. According to her, one of the key requirements is the urgency of investigations, whereas many cases have seen no results for years.

On October 15 last year, Armenia’s Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan reported that since January 2024, there have been 26 recorded deaths of servicemen in the Armenian armed forces: 6 homicides, 4 traffic accidents, 3 deaths due to illness, 1 fatal accident, among others.

By Khagan Isayev