Significant Number of Incidents in the Army Related to Sleeping in Positions: Pashinyan

A working group has been formed regarding the incidents of killings and suicides in the army, involving three ministers: the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and the Minister of Health. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in response to Armenian Parliament member Ruzanna Yeremyan's remark about the distressing incidents in the Armenian Armed Forces in recent months and whether the causes of these incidents are related to the lack of education.

According to Pashinyan, the biggest problem the government faces is the continuity of the incidents occurring in the army. He noted, "A significant portion of the incidents in the army is related to the so-called problem of sleeping on post, and this problem has intensified because when there was no peace, soldiers on duty were themselves concerned that if they slept, their physical safety would be at risk. Now they know that this will not happen, or the probability is very small, but the attitude of the environment, the situation, and the military unit, especially those units directly involved in the war, remains unchanged." He emphasized that radical measures are necessary to resolve this issue, as it cannot be solved with long-term steps.

Further, he stated, "The logic of military service has not been adapted to the situation of establishing peace, and we need to take decisive steps to address this problem. However, yes, education, the culture of violence, and the general criminal subculture are all issues that cannot be solved overnight, but we need to tackle this issue now, if not in a day, at least in 1 month, 2 months, or 6 months," he noted, emphasizing that solving the issue through education is a long-term scenario.

Regarding discussions about the cessation of chaplains' work in the army, Pashinyan stated that the work has not been halted, and there is an appointment procedure for chaplains, which the Minister of Defense follows.