According to rough estimates, from November 2020 to August 2022, more than 30 suicides were recorded in Azerbaijan among participants in the second Karabakh war. The most notorious of these was the self-immolation of a person with a disability from the third group Elvin Jafarov in front of the executive power building in one of the regions of the country in July 2022. There is a video in which he (albeit in a very confusing way) complains of the head of the executive branch and talks about his intention. After that, the problem of suicides among veterans became the subject of widespread discussion.

Financial problems and employee indifference

In 2021-2022, individual and group protests of veterans who received various injuries were held in Azerbaijan many times. They complained that they could not receive the benefits due to them and that the State had abandoned them to their fate. Relatives of veterans who committed suicide also say material problems, disorder, injustice and staff indifference led them to take that step.

Most of these veterans lived in villages. At first, the individual cases were not related to each other or to the war, they were not highlighted as a separate trend, and no official position was expressed.

At the moment, only the Public Ministry and officials of the relevant state structures – the administration of certain districts, the Ministry of Social Protection, etc., make comments. The prosecution is looking into starting a criminal case in another case, and the officials categorically deny the charges against them, repeating that all participants in the war in Azerbaijan “are surrounded by attention and care”.

Thus, in the case of Elvin Jafarov, the Ministry of Social Protection stated that he received a one-time assistance worth 11,000 manats (about US$6,500), monthly payments, was employed and, at the time of his suicide, Jafarov’s income , a 35-year-old father of two, earned 958 manats (about US$570) a month.

And the same head of the executive branch, coming to the wake, said that “all your demands were met within the scope of our capabilities and powers”. He mentioned that Jafarov was registered in a psychiatric dispensary.

Post Traumatic Disorder – A Decisive Factor?

It is post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) that a significant part of society, authorities and the media tend to consider the only cause of suicide among veterans.

According to Rena Safaraliyeva, representative of the Yaşat Foundation, created to support the injured and the families of the dead, veterans are very reluctant to seek help from the existing state psychological rehabilitation program: “They cannot be persuaded, they respond that” we they are not psychopaths!

However, Safaraliyeva also points to loopholes in the law. For example, veterans with minor injuries (legally) are not entitled to disability status or benefits, leading to frustration and hopelessness.

Psychologist Azad Isazadeh, who has experience in rehabilitating veterans from both Karabakh wars, briefly explains the essence of PTSD: from being killed and the anger or aggression required, to going into battle.”

After returning from the front, this condition remains, making it difficult to adapt to civilian life: “Sometimes, he goes alone after a while, just peace and the care of relatives and friends. But when PTSD is of a medium or severe nature and financial and social factors outweigh it, “a person is locked in bondage to their aggression. Some dump it on family members while others direct it on themselves. This self-harm often leads to to suicide”.

According to the psychologist, the problem of suicides among veterans in Azerbaijan will drag on for many years. And to control it, full psychosocial rehabilitation centers across the country are needed: “Now there are psychological rehabilitation centers only in big cities and it is difficult for residents of remote provinces to reach them. all districts and in them there must be not only psychologists, but also social workers and lawyers, so that assistance is comprehensive”.

But first and foremost, war participants need the empathy of others: “All the veterans I spoke to were deeply traumatized by the fact that the staff didn’t show up, most of the time kicking them out, sending them around the offices. This is a serious mistake, which leads to tragedies.”

The psychologist emphasizes that officials must listen to veterans, even if their claims are unfounded, show patience and understanding, without giving false hopes and promises.

unpopular position

A special and less popular position in the discussions surrounding these suicides is occupied by those who believe that in this situation the militaristic and nationalist ambitions and appeals that continue to ring in society are completely inadequate. According to this minority, the only way to deal with the problem in the long term is to abandon the very idea of ​​a military solution to the Karabakh conflict, not to initiate or justify new hostilities.

In early August 2022, during a brief escalation in Karabakh, when it seemed quite likely that the war would resume, social media posts emerged criticizing the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities in various degrees and forms. The authors of some of these posts were summoned for an “educational conversation” at the prosecution. One of them said he was “caught” by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s quote: “As long as there is no threat to the freedom of the people, starting a war is a crime”.

Later, the Attorney General’s Office released a statement qualifying these publications as “an attempt to spread false information” and warned that “measures aimed at weakening the country’s defense capacity are considered a threat to our State”. The Prosecutor’s Office also proposed introducing appropriate amendments to the legislation.

The latest “episode” in a series of suicides to date took place on August 18, 2022: 33-year-old Tabriz Abdullayev tried to set himself on fire in front of his district’s executive power building. He survived and was hospitalized in critical condition.