Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

HCA Vanadzor presents data regarding death cases of servicemen in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, and Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. This data was collected based on information disseminated through mass media and official sources, as well as responses to HCA Vanadzor inquiries addressed to official organizations.

According to the summed up information, 76 death cases of servicemen were recorded in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, and Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh in 2021.

Causes of 76 death cases are:   

• 19 death cases occurred as a result of violation of ceasefire regime,
  
  

• 17 death cases occurred  as a result of health problems,
  
  

• 15 death cases occurred as a result of car crash (in the frame of 2 of which, cars ran over those persons; the Prosecutor’s Office included those cases in the number of death cases as a result of car crash),
  
  

• 11 death cases occurred as a result of murder (3 death cases were qualified as murder of 2 or more persons, 4 death cases were caused by breach of rules of organizing combat service, 2 death cases were caused by breach of the rules for handling weapon, 1 death case was caused by murder in a way posing danger to the life of others, 1 death case was caused by a deliberate murder),
  
  

• 9 death cases occurred as a result of suicide and inciting suicide,
  
  

• 5 death cases occurred as a result of accidents (1 avalanche, 1 case of being struck by lightning, 1 case of being struck by a car part, 1 tree fall, 1 sudden death, which the Prosecutor’s Office included in the number of death cases caused by accidents).
  
  

2 out of 19 servicemen, who died as a result of violation of the ceasefire regime, got injuries in October and November of 2020 during war operations, and died in 2021. 

6 servicemen died in November 2021 as a result of military operations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan line of contact.

For the sake of comparison, it should be mentioned that 100 servicemen’s death cases not directly related to war operations were recorded in 2020, of which

• 25 were caused by health problems,
  
  

• 22 were caused by car crash,
  
  

• 18 were caused by suicide or inciting suicide,
  
  

• 17 were caused by ceasefire violations,
  
  

• 9 were caused by accidents (3 cases of avalanche, 1 case of falling into a gorge, 1 case of fire in the car, 1 case of overturning of a tractor, 1 case of a bee sting, 1 case of ethyl alcohol poisoning, 1 case of collapse during construction in the house),
  
  

• 4 were caused by murders (2 intentional murders, 1 murder out of hooligan motives, 1 murder committed to conceal another crime or facilitate its commission)
  
  

• 3 were caused by violation of the rules for handling weapon,
  
  

• 1 was caused by violation of combat duty/service rules,
  
  

• 1 was caused by a mine explosion.
  
  

Statistics of death cases caused by suicide and inciting suicide remains worrisome. 3 out of 11 murders were recorded within a month (in August) and 3 out of 99 suicide cases were recorded in May.

We record that while the number of death cases recorded in 2021 decreased as compared to 2020, the majority, i.e., 75% of cases, occurred in non-combat conditions.

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