Pashinyan says suicides in Armenian army are a priority

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the authorities would not be content with merely recording statistics on suicides in the army.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports, citing Sputnik Armenia, that Pashinyan told journalists he had clearly communicated his position on the issue to his colleagues.

The prime minister was responding to the head of the Investigative Committee, who cited the influence of religious sects as one possible cause of suicides among service members. Pashinyan stressed that the authorities would not stand aside and simply watch developments.

Since the beginning of 2026, 17 cases involving the deaths of service members in the Armenian Armed Forces have been recorded. Following incidents that sparked public outcry, the heads of the Armed Forces’ Moral and Psychological Support Department, Serc Stepanyan, and the Military Police, Ashot Zakaryan, were dismissed in August.