Tuesday, November 14 2017 12:52

ArmInfo.Five Armenian students went on a hunger strike in protest against the bill to  cancel the deferment of compulsory military service. They are on hunger strike in one of the auditoriums of Yerevan State University.

Member of the initiative "For the Development of Science" David  Petrosyan on his Facebook page noted that they are thus fighting the  indifference of the public and the bill that repeals the postponement  of service. "We, four of us have already served in the army, we are  announcing a hunger strike from now on." I call not to break the  door, we are not going to enter into any dispute with anyone,"  Petrosyan said live.

Armenian students have been on strike for a week against the bill "On  military service and the status of a serviceman," which assumes the  complete abolition of deferment from compulsory military service for  all young people who have reached the age of 18 and who do not have  health problems incompatible with military service. On November 9,  Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received students, Minister of  Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan and Defense Minister Vigen  Sargsyan participated in the meeting.  They tried to persuade  students in the advisability of legislative initiative, but in vain.  The students were not convinced by the arguments of high-ranking  officials, and they decided to continue the strike. Earlier, the  students rejected Vigen Sargsyan's invitation to meet. Then on  November 10, students held a protest near the National Assembly  building, when the bill was due to be discussed there. However, due  to a strange coincidence, the meeting did not take place due to the  absence of a quorum. It was held late at night, when the students  parted.

The law "On military service and the status of serviceman" adopted in  the first reading radically changes the procedure for receiving a  postponement from military service with the purpose of studying. In  accordance with it, only those citizens who conclude an agreement  with the Ministry of Defense can undertake a postponement,  undertaking to undergo military training during their studies, and  upon completion of studies to serve in the army in the place  specified by the Ministry of Defense for three years.  Otherwise,  they will be drafted into the army after reaching the age of 18 for a  period of two years. By the way, according to the draft law, persons  who are recruited for military service, in addition to studying, can  also use the right to defer for family reasons and health.

Noteworthy in particular are the benefits provided in case of having  children. In this case, according to the draft law, from the  compulsory military service those young people, who before the  conscription have two or more children, with the exception of the  adopted ones, can be released. Another noteworthy point is that from  the service in the army, those young people whose wife is pregnant  with at least twins and whose gestational age is six months can be  released.

Parliament, today discusses the draft law "On military service and  the status of a serviceman" in the second reading. Artak Zakaryan,  Deputy Defense Minister, represents the bill in the parliament.