PHOTOS: CONCERNED RESIDENTS PROTEST NON-COMBAT DEATHS IN ARMENIAN ARMY

epress.am
09.01.2011 23:02

Held outside the Armenian government building on Thursday was a
demonstration called “An Army Without Murderers” initiated by citizens
concerned of the recent non-combat deaths in Armenia’s Armed Forces.

A couple of dozen people were participating in today’s demonstration –
NGO representatives, lawyers, journalists, representatives of women’s
organizations, activists and publicists.

Passers-by also joined the demonstration, including foreigners who
expressed a wish to speak with relatives of the deceased soldiers.

Recall, two incidents occurred in the Armenian army in August which
recently resulted in a public outcry.

“The most recent cases are Aghasi Abrahamyan, 18, who was brutally
killed on Aug. 26 at the military unit of Yeghnikner, Karabakh, after
9 months of service. Two weeks before this, Vardan Sevyan, 19, was
killed at the military unit of Goris. In 2011, already 19 deaths have
been registered in the military. There [are] no available statistics
about the number of violence, rapes, young people becoming disabled
after the military service,” reads the statement by organizers on
the event’s Facebook page, as reported previously.

From: A. Papazian