No soldier commits suicide, says Margarita Khachatryan

No soldier commits suicide: This was stated by Margarita Khachatryan, the president of the ‘Soldier’ NGO, as she addressed the high number of suicides in the army.

“No serviceman in our army commits suicide; it’s a different matter that leads one to consider self-harm, and there are harsh realities that drive them to such outcomes. Let’s not link the shortcomings of our army to this issue. We are giving a body back to a mother and at the same time attributing a suicide narrative—let's remove this stigma from our children. Let’s not assign this burden to a soldier lying in a trench on the ground,” she stated.

Mrs. Khachatryan also referred to the assistance provided to victims of March 1 and emphasized that there should not be a distinction made; those affected demand respectful treatment from society. “If you grant victim status to someone killed by an Armenian hand on March 1 in Yerevan, do you ignore the families whose sons have given their lives for the homeland in the trenches and have not received similar assistance? Can we differentiate? Let’s also provide for the victims of October 27, and those killed during street fights. Have we erred by bringing our boys to serve, and today we receive a corpse?” Khachatryan said.

One of the parents of the fallen also stated that they are not seeking charity from the state, but merely respectful treatment.

It is worth noting that last week, mothers of the fallen held a protest near the Government building, where Prime Minister Pashinyan, in a meeting with them, stated that the Government is gradually working to address the issues.