Second Victim in a Month: Ghahramanyan Raises Alarm about Non-Combat Deaths in the Army

The cases of death in the armed forces cannot become just another statistic; unfortunately, they have become so, wrote Marianna Ghahramanyan, a member of the "Strong Armenia" parliamentary group.

“Yesterday, we learned about a new casualty in non-combat conditions in the army. This is the second victim in the span of a month. According to open-source data, in 2026, the Armenian Armed Forces have already recorded 31 deaths in non-combat conditions (including yesterday's case), of which 12 are related to military service, while 19 are not. The long-term picture of deaths in non-combat conditions in the armed forces is increasingly alarming. According to the studies conducted by the Human Rights Defender's Office in Vanadzor, between 2010-2017, there were 299 cases of death in non-combat conditions in the Armenian and Artsakh armed forces. From 2018 to 2025, 427 cases of deaths of servicemen in non-combat conditions have been recorded.

This data indicates that under the rule of the ruling Civil Contract party, the number of deaths in the army is increasing. These figures are not a matter for political manipulation. They relate to the state’s responsibility for the irreversible losses of hundreds of families. One of them was Grigor Edgar Zakaryan, who died yesterday.

These figures reflect the government's attitude towards the life and safety of servicemen and speak to deep systemic issues. The ruling Civil Contract party, which makes grand announcements about supposed reforms in the armed forces, must provide the public with clear and comprehensive answers: - Under what circumstances are these deaths occurring? - What preventive measures have been taken? - How many cases have been properly and fully investigated? - And most importantly, what has followed from that, and what has changed to prevent the recurrence of the same tragedies? The unfortunate incident of yesterday was followed by a dismissal, and the name that will change is already circulating, raising serious questions, but will the system change?” she wrote.