Those who evade military service in Armenia to have opportunity to  avoid criminal prosecution by transferring money to state budget

ArmInfo. Those who evade military service in Armenia between the ages of 27 and 37 will have the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution by serving in the army or by transferring money to the state budget. At the plenary session on January 16, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia adopted in the second and final reading the amendments to the law "On Military Service and the Status of Serviceman" and to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia proposed by Member of Parliament from the ruling "Civil Contract" faction Hayk Sargsyan.

According to Sargsyan, the project will allow citizens aged 27 to 37  years to undergo military service for a period of two years, serve 12  months and pay 2.5 million drams, serve 6 months and pay 5 million  drams, serve 1 month and pay 10 million drams, and also pay 15  million drams in lieu of the entire period of military service. He  believes that the adoption of the bill will allow many citizens to  return to their homeland, and the country's armed forces will be able  to be staffed by repatriates. At the same time, the state budget will  receive additional financial resources. The funds received will be  used to solve the problems of servicemen. The author of the  legislative initiative noted that 10,000 young men who evaded  military service are currently wanted, of which 5 thousand are over  27 years old. In addition, according to the parliamentarian,  financial and material resources spent on identifying, prosecuting,  convicting and keeping in prison evaders who have reached 27 years of  age will be saved. Persons over the age of 27 who have received RA  citizenship will be able to serve only 1 year instead of 2 years,  paying 2.5 million drams to the state budget. According to current  legislation, Armenian citizens aged 27 years and older who have not  served, even if they surrender, are subject to criminal punishment  for a period of five years. The presented document is intended to  resolve this problem and, in the case of service in the Armed Forces,  to avoid criminal prosecution. The statute of limitations for  criminal prosecution and these requirements is up to 37 years in the  case of regular military service and 45 years in the case of service  as a reserve officer.  Citizens of Armenia who received citizenship  of another country after 27 years of age are exempt from service if  they have previously served in the army of the country where they are  for 12 months or more.  Otherwise, they are released from service  upon payment of 2.5 million drams.

The MP noted that during the governance of the second and third  presidents of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Serzh  Sargsyan, there was a legislative provision according to which draft  dodgers could pay 100 thousand drams for each conscription and be  exempt from criminal prosecution. The difference, as the  parliamentarian noted, is that now they will have to pay 15 million  drams.  In response, MP from the Hayastan opposition faction Gegham  Manukyan called for developing an integrated approach so as not to  return to this topic every time. He recalled the disagreement of the  RA Ministry of Defense with some provisions of the proposed bill. He  recalled that Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsyan proposed  removing from the draft the clause on those receiving citizenship  after 27 years.  As for the provisions that were in force during the  times of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, as Manukyan emphasized,  their goal was the intention to return as many people as possible to  their homeland.  "Where do people get 15 million drams to be released  from service?" asked the oppositionist.  In turn, the Speaker of the  National Assembly noted that if they do not have money, let them  return and fulfill their civic duty.