Crimes in Armenian military up 30 pct: NGOs
YEREVAN – Cases of desertion, deaths, abuse and bribery in Armenia’s military have increased 30 percent in comparison with last year, local non-governmental organizations have said.
About 2,000 incidents were reported in the country’s armed forces this year, including 100 desertions, over 70 deaths, 500 bribery cases, up to 50 suicide attempts, and 400 cases of torture. Moreover, 15 Armenian soldiers died in stabbing incidents this year.
Ashot Hovanesyan, an expert with Armenia’s Human Rights Center, said the reports about the killings of servicemen, suicides and abuse have riled the Armenian public.
"Most of the incidents occurred due to the lack of discipline, corruption and dedovshina [abuse of solders] that is a legacy of the Soviet times. The matter is so serious that the number of youths killed in the Armenian armed forces since the beginning of 2010 with the use of firearms has quadrupled in comparison with 2009."
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