Armenian mothers protest against 'non-combat' soldier deaths in occupied Karabakh
By Rashid Shirinov
Suicide, not combat, is the leading cause of death of Armenian soldiers deployed to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. The main reason for such desperate acts are the dreadful hazing and lack of discipline in the Armenian troops.
Few days ago, Armenian soldier Rafael Hakobyan, serving in the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan, committed a suicide cutting his wrists with a razor blade, Armenian media reported. Another soldier, Soso Davitian, who serves in a military unit in Azerbaijan’s occupied Khojavend region, caused injuries to himself. Both servicemen were placed in military hospitals, and their heath conditions are assessed as moderate.
Another Armenian soldier Aram Gevorgyan attempted to shoot himself due to the constant duty on the fighting position. As it turned out, Gevorgyan was appointed for a permanent duty on the position due to a shortage of military personnel.
All these incidents causes discontent among the Armenian population, especially among the servicemen’ parents, who regularly protest against Armenia’s authorities.
Another such protest action was held in front of the Armenian Government’s building in Yerevan on October 26.
Soldiers’ mothers put forward a demand of meeting with Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan. They noted that the command of the Armenian Armed Forces is engaged in only high-flown speeches and it does nothing to investigate the numerous murders committed in the Armenian army.
“[Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan nurtured Vigen Sargsyan like a plant. He passed his school. That’s why they value each other so well,” said one of the protesting women.
The protesters also stressed that the Armenian government undertakes all changes in the defense sphere with the only aim of additional collection of money from the country’s population.
This year, the Armenian authorities adopted the law obliging each working Armenian citizen to contribute 1,000 drams (about $2) per month so that those who have suffered while serving in the Armenian army can receive a small compensation for the crippled health and life. This law also caused strong criticism among Armenians, who note that the government is robbing its poor population while military officers get rich.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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