Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenia lost 6,000 servicemen in the war fought with Azerbaijan in the early 1990s and 1,500 since the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994, Armenian rights defenders have said.

Addressing a news conference, the rights defenders also said the Armenian authorities have not yet disclosed the accurate number of non-combat deaths reported in the country’s armed forces.

They cited the aggravating condition of the Armenian military, saying military service there is more dangerous than serving on the frontline.

According to Artur Sakunts, an Armenian representative of Helsinki Civil Watch, 306 murders were reported in the Armenian armed forces from 2005 to 2011 as of September 1. Since 2007, 228 deaths have occurred, including 32 as a result of ceasefire violations on the contact line with Azerbaijani troops.

The US State Department has said in a report that 54 deadly incidents were reported in the Armenian military in 2010.

The rights defenders expressed deep concern over crude violations of human rights in Armenia. They say deaths in the military are being falsely presented as suicides, and these crimes remain undisclosed for many years thereafter.

Meanwhile, protesters in Yerevan plan to stage a rally on Thursday to condemn the deplorable situation in the Armenian military.