ArmInfo. The Government of Armenia approved the draft amendments to the law "On persons who did not undergo compulsory military service in the prescribed manner" submitted by the "Bright Armenia" factions at a meeting on February 15.
According to Acting Deputy Minister of the Diaspora Babken Ter-Grigoryan, the document proposes to extend the law, according to which persons who turned 27 years old by the end of 2017 were given the opportunity to pay money and return to Armenia without fear of criminal prosecution. Now it is proposed to provide such an opportunity to those persons who turned 27 years old before the end of 2018. Babken Ter-Grigoryan stressed that the country's government is already taking this step for the 9th time in order to solve the problems of a limited number of people who want to return to their homeland, and in this context there is a need for a conceptual solution of the issue for a long-term solution.
According to the RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, today 90% of all criminal cases dealt with in the Armed Forces concern evasion from military service. The reasons for this, the Prime Minister continued, are both objective and subjective. Many left the country before the age of conscription, but this does not mean that they should not serve in the army. It is important to understand and assess the situation, all the more, as Nikol Pashinyan noted, it is an issue of a small circle of people, and small means, which can to some extent have a positive effect on the situation in the armed forces. To note, many citizens left Armenia for studying, and now they would like to return, but they cannot because of criminal prosecution for not doing military service. The law on persons who did not undergo compulsory military service has been in effect since 2003, its validity period has been extended many times. Previously, the proposal to extend the law was made by the Ministry of Diaspora. Now, in view of the ambiguity of the status of the Ministry of Diaspora, the "Bright Armenia "faction has come up with such an initiative. Recall that a document a citizen who has reached the age of 27 (reserve officer -35-year- old) who did not undergo compulsory military service, in order to terminate the criminal prosecution initiated against him and to register in the order established by law for each violation of the law to pay an amount of 200 times the minimum wage, which is currently equal to 55 thousand drams.