Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan has sacked Lieutenant General Karen Abrahamyan as the country’s Minister of Defense and Commander of the Defense Army, replacing him with Major-General Jalal Harutyunyan (photo).

Abrahamyan’s dismissal is seen by some observers as linked to the recent spate of non-combat deaths within the ranks of the Artsakh military.

Abrahamyan was appointed to the post of defense minister/army commander in December 2018.

Photo by Armen Yeramishyan