168.amhas been trying for about two years find out the circumstances of the death of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan – was he killed by enemy fire or not, because from the beginning the criminal proceedings are characterized by murder be initiated, but in response to our written and oral inquiries and questions from the RA Investigative Committee՝ they said nothing has been revealed yet.

On June 14, 2024, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia issued a message stating: “On June 14, around 08:20, the body of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was found with a gunshot wound in the guard area of ​​the N military unit of the RA Defense Ministry. An investigation is underway to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident.”

Later it was the RA Investigative Committee message disseminate where it was reported.

“2024 on June 14, a report was received from the RO Sisian department of the RA Defense Ministry that on the same day at around 08:20, the body of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was found with a gunshot wound in the head area in the combat position of the protection area of ​​the N military unit of the RA Defense Ministry.

In connection with the case, in the third garrison investigative department of the Military Investigative Main Department of the Republic of Armenia of the RA Criminal Code Part 1 of Article 155 features of criminal proceedings initiated within the framework, immediate investigative and administrative actions were taken, including an examination of the scene and the body.

A number of examinations were appointed in order to clarify the essential circumstances of the criminal proceedings.

An investigation is underway. Necessary measures are being taken to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident.”

And on April 18, 2026, we sent another written request on this topic to the RA Investigative Committee to find out whether the killing of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was caused by enemy fire or not, if the problem is internal, then what is the stage of the criminal proceedings, is there a suspect, an accused?

And finally, in its response letter sent to us on April 27, the RA Investigative Committee disclosed more substantive information, stating:

“Regarding the death of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan in the combat position of the N military unit of the Armenian Defense Ministry. of the RA Criminal Code During the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated by Article 155, part 1, many evidentiary and other procedural actions were performed, appointed and received a series conclusions of examinations, according to which, the shell found at the scene, the part of the bullet mold were shot attached to Armen Gasparyan from the rifle, and the latter the injuries described on the cap on the head are gunshot, bullet, caused by a single shot with a bullet containing copper, what already? objectively excludes the hypothesis of firing by the enemy or from the given direction։ The investigation is ongoing.”

Time will tell whether the Investigative Committee’s exclusion that the enemy did not kill our contractor will be confirmed at the end of the preliminary investigation.

in the armory of the Ministry of Defense the conclusions regarding the explosion of the mortar fire are not yet ready

But in our survey sent to the RA Investigative Committee, we also included questions related to other cases recorded in the army.

In particular, in 2025 on July 8, around 4:00 p.m., during a training exercise at the N Military Training Ground of the Ministry of Defense, an explosion of mortar fire was recorded, as a result of which there were casualties.

Regarding the case, on 08.07.2025, in the third garrison investigative department of the RA Criminal Investigation Department of the RA Criminal Code, part 1 of Article 532 (Violation of the rules for dealing with weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects posing the greatest danger to the environment) and Article 550 (Military official negligence) criminal proceedings were initiated.

We tried to find out from the RA Investigative Committee what was found out, whether the problem was only the violations of the rules, or was there also a problem related to the quality characteristics of weapons and ammunition?

“On July 8, 2025, in the case of causing physical injuries to servicemen as a result of a mortar fire explosion during a training session at the training ground of the N military unit of the RA Ministry of Defense, the criminal proceedings initiated under Article 532, Part 1 and Article 550, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code have carried out the necessary evidentiary and other operational actions, experts have been appointed, which the conclusions have not been received yet. The investigation is ongoing,” said the CC’s reply.

Committee of Inquiry into 2026 Army Deaths

And since from the beginning of 2026 until now, several cases of death related to military service in the army have been recorded, not all of which the RA Ministry of Defense has disseminated a message about, perhaps there are objective reasons for this, in any case, we have also asked the RA Investigative Committee to provide statistics: how many deaths were related to military service in 2026, how many of them were murders and how many were suicides?

“Death of servicemen recorded in 2026 6 the incident was initiated in the main military investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee 6 criminal proceedings, of which 1-ը՝ According to Article 522 of the RA Criminal Code (causing a military serviceman to commit suicide by carelessness), 1-ը՝ Article 523 (making a military serviceman commit suicide), 3 o’clockwith Article 155 (murder), 1, according to part 3 of Article 532 (violating the rules of handling weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects that are more dangerous for the environment, which caused the death of a person through carelessness).

Moreover, Of the 3 murders, 1 of the criminal proceedings initiated under Article 155 is a case of sudden death, and 1 is a case of suicide, according to the preliminary data obtained during the preliminary investigation. the Investigative Committee informed us.

Let us add that earlier RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan had announced that in 2025, we had 6 death cases related to the service, of which 1 was due to lightning, 1 was due to electric shock, 2 was due to suicide, and 2 were due to health problems.

—