RA Defense General Secretary Hamlet Batikyan answered Radar Armenia's questions about the statistics of deaths in non-combat conditions in the Armed Forces.

- Recently, the number of deaths in non-combat conditions in the army has increased to 39 this year. What preventive measures has the military department taken? Has there been an analysis of the leading causes?

- About the cases of death in non-combat conditions (peacetime), official investigations were conducted to find out their cause and effect relationships, the scope of the culprits, the shortcomings and omissions in the organization and implementation of the service, regarding which orders were issued, to exclude their repetition, proposing specific instructions to the commanders of the military units. According to the orders issued during the service examinations, the guilty persons were subjected to disciplinary responsibility.

Criminal cases have been initiated in connection with the recorded death cases. To obtain the required information on the circumstances and reasons, it is necessary to apply to the RA Investigative Committee.

- After the war of 2020, what are the moral and psychological state of military units, officer-soldier relations, and interpersonal relations of soldiers? What procedures are done in the army to exclude harmful phenomena and detect them?

- To prevent incidents of non-statutory relationships between military personnel, under the direct supervision of deputy commanders of military units in charge of morale and psychological support and officer-psychologists of military units, anonymous sociological surveys are regularly conducted to find out the morale-psychological atmosphere prevailing in the subordinate units, the nature of interpersonal relationships, the concerns of service members, and social problems. Effective preventive measures are taken based on the survey summary and analysis results.

Military police officers carry out prophylactic-preventive measures regarding military discipline, strengthening the legal system, correct assessment of the situation, vicious phenomena, offenses, accidents, excluding vicious sensations, as well as the inadmissibility and possible legal consequences of using alcoholic beverages and drugs in permanent deployment areas and during combat duty. Aim to reduce incidents in the armed forces to a minimum, increase the level of legal awareness of service members and contribute to forming a healthy moral and psychological atmosphere.

Various meetings and consultations were held in 2022 to increase the work's effectiveness in preventing emergency incidents and offenses.

Workshops on the topic "The importance of showing mutual respect and maintaining an atmosphere of tolerance in defense of the Motherland" is held among the officers and non-commissioned officers of units, as well as conscripts in military units and military units.

- Experts express that deaths in non-combat conditions have increased significantly, especially in recent years. What kind of statistics does the military department have? Especially when did such cases prevail?

- In the 2018-22 period, the number of deaths in the RA Armed Forces in non-combat conditions tends to decrease. Still, the provision of information about statistics is refused based on Article 8, Part 1, RA Law "On Freedom of Information" and RA Defense the requirements of items 42 and 55 of Annex 1 of Minister's Order N9-N of July 9, 2015.

Hayk Magoyan