Armenian authorities suggest sects may be influencing suicides among servicemen

One of the possible causes of suicides among Armenian servicemen may be membership in certain sects.

This was stated by the chairman of the Investigative Committee, Artur Poghosyan, during the discussion of the draft state budget for 2027 in parliament, Sputnik Armenia reports.

According to him, some sects promote suicide, and in individual cases the investigation finds confirmation of their influence on servicemen. In particular, tattoos were found on the body of one of the soldiers who recently took his own life which, according to the investigation's assessment, indicate suicidal tendencies.

"This is a matter of national security, and in the near future we will begin the relevant processes. Society will be informed about this. We are talking about several cases," Poghosyan said.

He also reported his intention to address this issue to the director of the National Security Service, Andranik Simonyan.

Since the beginning of 2026, 17 cases of servicemen's deaths have been recorded in the Armed Forces of Armenia. The incidents caused a wide public outcry and once again drew attention to the problems of military discipline, hazing, and the moral and psychological condition of the personnel.

On August 24, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said that it came as a surprise to him that responsibility for the deaths of soldiers was placed directly on the head of the defense department. On the same day, it became known that another contract serviceman had died.

Earlier, on August 13, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, commenting on the incidents in the army, announced personnel changes in the structures responsible for the relevant areas of work. Shortly after that, the head of the Department of Moral and Psychological Support of the Armed Forces, Serezha Stepanyan, and the head of the Military Police, Ashot Zakaryan, lost their positions.