Military hazing continues to be key problem in Armenian army
By Rashid Shirinov
Armenian authorities have reported non-combat death of two more Armenian soldiers, which prove the continuing failure to root out chronic abuses within the national army ranks.
Local media first reported that soldiers Aram Khachatryan and Hrach Avetisyan received fatal gunshot wounds 'due to breaching the rules of handling weapon' on October 20.
Later, Armenia’s Investigative Committee gave detailed information on Avetisyan’s death. The 20-year-old soldier received a gunshot wound in the forehead approximately at 17:20 on October 20.
It turned out that few days ago Avetisyan’s fellow soldier had an argument with him and resorted to violence against the victim.
As for 19-year-old soldier Khachatryan, it was revealed that he also did not commit suicide, but, was killed. He received a gunshot wound in the right shoulder at about 12:40 on October 20, and died on the way to a military hospital. The Investigative Committee has already revealed the person who committed this crime – it is a conscript of the same military unit, junior sergeant.
Thus, Avetisyan and Khachatryan became victims of hazing that continues to flourish in the Armenian army, especially in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Armenian soldiers serve in the occupied territories under constant fear and stress.
All this has a detrimental effect on the nervous system of young Armenian soldiers. Depressed soldiers are ready to shoot themselves in the head and kill fellow soldiers due to even small problems with them.
The deplorable state of the Armenian army, frequent death cases, violence, brutality, and non-obedience reigning there, are the real-life nightmare of Armenian soldiers and their parents. This nightmare triples for those of Armenian soldiers who do their service in the Armenia-occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the Armenian parents do not want their sons to serve in army, and try to find any opportunity to keep them far from that horror.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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