On September 23, the Regional Center for Democracy and Security (RCDS) hosted a discussion on deaths in Armenia’s Armed Forces during peacetime.
The discussion featured Artur Sakunts, President of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office; Vilen Gabrielyan, Chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security Affairs; and Colonel (Ret.) Grigory Sahakyan. The discussion was moderated by RCDS expert Hayk Khanumyan.
The discussion addressed a number of systemic issues within the Armed Forces, including shortages of personnel and professional training at the junior command level, the persistent practice of failing to report problems in military units to higher command, inequalities within the conscription system, and problematic approaches to disciplinary measures against service members.
Colonel (Ret.) Grigory Sahakyan emphasized the need for a systemic assessment of peacetime deaths and suicides in the Armed Forces, taking into account the specific circumstances of each case.
Vilen Gabrielyan stressed the importance of improving mechanisms for transmitting accurate and unfiltered information about problems within the Armed Forces. He also highlighted the need for greater dialogue among state institutions, experts, civil society organizations, and reserve officers.
Artur Sakunts addressed statistics on deaths in the Armed Forces and differences in how such cases are classified, and provided details on the investigation of several cases.
The speakers also responded to questions and comments from participants.