Statement from Human Rights Organizations

During the establishment of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the Armenian Army has undergone a difficult development phase since the cease-fire of Artsakh war.

However, in spite of several accomplishments, the Armenian Army still uses the model of non-statuary criminal relations, formed as a result of drawbacks of today’s oligarchic authorities and adopted from the Soviet Army. As a direct consequence, a great number of RA youth are being subjected to violations, tortures and what is even worse, are being murdered.

Only during 2008 to 2011, according to official statistics, the number of soldiers, who died during their military service, was 187, and only 25 were killed in border skirmishes breaching the ceasefire. While according to the non-official statistics, based on calculations of various experts, 1500 young men have died in the army since 1994.

The criminal proceedings launched for the death cases of the servicemen in the army are usually marred with breaches, while murders are, as a rule, qualified as suicides. The rights of parents of killed young men are ignored and neglected by public officials.

The unhealthy moral-psychological atmosphere in the armed forces and the unaccountability leads to the increase of crimes and immorality of the population. 

On the one hand, this situation promotes corruption, because the parents of young men, who are in the call-up age, try to illegally free their children from military service or “provide” their security by using different levers, while, on the other hand, it promotes the rate of migration. 
We, the undersigned representatives of human rights organizations,

- express our deep concern over the plight in the army and disappointment with irresponsible conducts of authorities. 
- condemn every case of physical and psychological violence or torture against servicemen and the cover-up policy adopted by the commanding staff, investigation bodies and Justice structures.
- assess the lack of public position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Serzh Sargsyan of RA Armed Forces as misunderstanding of his position and inability to control the situation, lack of attention and/or sponsorship. 
- demand that Supreme Commander-in-Chief Serzh Sargsyan ensure an immediate detailed study of violations, murders, suicides and other criminal cases in RA Army since 1994, involving independent experts and stakeholder NGOs to disclose the drawbacks and unlawfulness of the  preliminary investigation bodies.  
- provide guarantees to hold responsible all the officials guilty for flawed criminal proceedings and unlawful actions.
- eliminate the non-regulated relations and unhealthy atmosphere in the army through recommendations of legislative amendments and enrolling stakeholder NGOs.
- ensure urgent, appropriate and dignified monetary and moral compensation to the families of servicemen, who died in the Armenian Army during peace period.
We announce that if no steps are undertaken within a month to meet these demands, we will blame the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Serzh Sargsyan for everything and will demand his resignation.

Artur Sakunts, “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor” NGO
Avetik Ishkhanyan, “Armenian Helsinki Committee” NGO
Natalia Martirosyan, “Helsinki Citizen's Assembly Committee in Armenia” NGO
Zhanna Aleksanyan, “Journalists for Human Rights” NGO
Seda Melikyan, “Advocates for Human Rights” NGO
Levon Barseghyan, “Asparez” Journalists’ Club NGO
Sona Ayvazyan, “Transparency International Anticorruption Center” NGO
Izabella Sargsyan,“Youth For Democracy” NGO
Lala Aslikyan, “Hope” NGO
Levon Nersisyan, “Sakharaov Foundation of Human Rigts Protection Armenian Center” NGO