RA NA refuses consider issue of draft evaders

ArmInfo. Members of the National Assembly of Armenia rejected the legislative initiative proposed by Hayk Sargsyan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract faction, to provide financial support to demobilized service members. Only three members of parliament voted in favor of the amendments to the law "On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen," as well as a package of related laws, with 57 members voting against and six  abstaining.

According to Hayk Sargsyan, the proposed initiative will not place an  additional burden on the state budget.  The parliamentarian proposed,  in particular, creating a special fund whose proceeds would be  distributed among soldiers who have completed their military service.  According to the author's calculations, each of them will be able to  receive between 1.5 and 3 million drams as start-up capital for study  or business. The essence of the proposal is to redirect funds  received from citizens seeking exemption from criminal liability for  evading military service or to expedite the process of obtaining  citizenship directly to those who are serving their country. Sargsyan  recalled that, thanks to the existing law allowing citizens over 27  to pay 15 million drams instead of a prison sentence, over 2 billion  drams have been collected into the budget. An additional 160 million  drams came from payments from individuals who received citizenship  after the age of 27. The MP believes that this money, as well as  funds from the new mechanisms he proposes, should be accumulated in  the Zinapa Fund.

The proposal package also includes new, stringent financial measures.  Specifically, Sargsyan proposed establishing a state fee of 15  million drams for renouncing Armenian citizenship to prevent the mass  renunciation of citizenship by young men under 18 to avoid military  service (in 2025 alone, there were 2,811 such cases). Furthermore, it  is proposed to allow citizens aged 18-27 who are wanted by the police  or who wish to obtain a passport to legalize their status through  payments and a reduced military service.  According to the  legislator, such a system would motivate the return of compatriots  and create a fair balance: the fee for exemption from standard  military service would serve as a reward for those who serve.