“Mom, Hell is Right Here”: Naira Zohrabyan Reads Soldier’s Letter

Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the National Assembly, shared insights today during a public-legal issues committee meeting about her journalistic series, where she spoke to soldiers regarding their experiences in the military. She noted the alarming statistics related to suicides within the armed forces.

Zohrabyan highlighted that members of the Prosperous Armenia Party have proposed an amendment to the Criminal Code of Armenia. During her address, she recounted her experiences in military units, where she frequently witnessed what she described as ‘dedavshina’—a term that implies abusive and oppressive practices.

She presented international practices where commissions work closely with recruits and read a letter from a soldier who later committed suicide. “Mom, I’m alone. I want you to take me out of this battalion. Mom, Hell is right here in our unit,” she quoted, emphasizing that such letters are not unique and that they are part of a wider subculture.

The proposal suggests that any soldier who indirectly leads another to suicide through threats, violence, or cruel treatment should face imprisonment for 3-8 years. If this act is committed by a group of individuals, the commander, or by the same individual in repeated instances, the punishment could range from 5-10 years in prison, with more severe cases facing 7-10 years of confinement.