Over 20 Years of Service, Officer Lacks Own Housing - Human Rights Defender

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, announced today in the National Assembly that there has been a significant increase in complaints. 'For example, in 2015, there were 2,500 complaints, while in 2020, the number rose to 14,780. If we take the same period in 2020, we had 11,598 complaints from individuals, whereas during the same period in 2021, the number reached 16,000,' said Tatoyan.

He mentioned that the number of written complaints this year stands at 6,450, which is double the previous count. There has also been an increase in calls to the hotline. 'I believe that the Human Rights Defender’s office needs to develop dynamically and strengthen its influence, which we are doing in military affairs regarding the Human Rights Defender's issues,' he added.

According to Tatoyan, access to free medical care for military personnel is one of the key areas. 'I urge to strengthen parliamentary oversight or consistency in this area concerning military personnel who have been discharged or freed from conscription but, due to illness, have not undergone surgery and are facing issues,' the Human Rights Defender emphasized.

He insisted that conscripts should be examined in advance to ascertain their health status before being drafted into the army. Tatoyan noted that in recent years, significant improvements have been made regarding the organization of conscription. 'We prioritize institutional cooperation with the Ministry of Defense,' he mentioned.

Arman Tatoyan believes that one of the primary issues remains the housing situation for military personnel. 'It has turned out that an officer with over 20 years of military service not only lacks their own housing but also lives in a rented space and, due to disproportionate compensation for rent, is even forced to pay out of pocket from their salary,' he stated.