Republican Commission for Alternative Military and Labor Service for conscripts to be created in Armenia

 At its today's session the Armenian parliament made alterations and amendments to the law "On Alternative service" and "On application of Criminal Code" in the second and final reading.

Armenia's Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan said that the draft law foresees sharing of the alternative military service and alternative labor service.  On the one hand, the alterations are connected with ensuring of national security, and on the other hand, with freedom of religious organizations. There was a small number of conscripts which passed their alternative service in 2005-2006 according to the fixed order, but in a short period of time, they
left their service places. Some of them were convicted, and investigation is underway regarding the rest.

"Parallel to the compulsory military service we have an alternative military service at the legislation level. The European Court said that the term of service of alternative servicemen is rather long. By the alterations we are going to separate the ideas "alternative labor" and "alternative military service", - he said. The conscripts, the religion of which forbids them to carry arm, may pass an alternative military service. It means that they can serve in the army but without arms. He also added that Republican Commission for Alternative Military and Labor Service for conscripts will be created
in Armenia. "The Commission will decide who will be directed to the alternative labor service and who - to the alternative military service..The term of the alternative service will be reduced from 36 months to 30", Tovmasyan said.

However, the suggestion of the government caused sharply negative reaction of the major part of deputies which noticed pressure of the European structures in it. They think that the alterations were initiated as more than 20 cases of persons - representatives of "Jehovah's witnesses", which avoided army service, are in the European Court for Human Rights. Moreover, since the beginning of the current year the European court has already obliged
the government of Armenia to pay 10thsd EUR compensation for moral damage to the three of them. Some members of the Armenian parliament think that in the context of verdicts of the European Court for Human Rights and the given alterations to the law,  the possibility of avoiding army service will grow for several times. In the conditions of the unsettled Karabakh conflict and practically everyday breaking of the cease-fire regime by Azerbaijan, and the militaristic statements by Baku, liberalization of legislation may become a serious threat to the national security of Armenia.