Discussion Commission on Complaints of the Ministry of Defense to be Organized Considering the Pandemic Situation

The Commission for discussing citizens' applications and complaints will operate under the auspices of the Public Council to the Minister of Defense of Armenia during the summer military draft of 2020, similar to previous drafts. This was announced by the Public Council to the Minister of Defense.

“The commission, established by the order of the Minister of Defense of Armenia, plays an important role in the draft process. It is committed to discussing citizens' applications and complaints, participating in the resolution of the issues raised in them, observing the course of the draft, emerging trends, and highlighting important questions.”

During the summer draft of 2020, the commission's work will be organized considering the pandemic situation. Measures will be taken to conduct it safely from a health perspective. Workspaces will be regularly disinfected and ventilated, and disinfecting and protective equipment will be provided to commission members and citizens. The number of participants in sessions will be reasonably limited, regular replacements of commission members will be made, and sessions will be convened more frequently, reducing the number of applications and complaints discussed in one session and the duration of the sessions. A safe distance will be maintained between session participants, etc.

Unfortunately, representatives of the media will not be able to participate in the sessions due to the current situation, which is a temporary retreat from the working principles of the commission. Nevertheless, the media can obtain information and comments of interest via phone. Similarly, questions raised by citizens will be clarified without their admission and direct contact.

Up to two persons, including the conscript and one family member, can participate in the discussion of an application or complaint. The application must be written at home, accompanied by the necessary documents, and the complete package must be submitted to the commission through one person or sent by mail. Applications and complaints are accepted on working days from 10:00 AM, and for clarifications, the phone number (010) 523482 can be called.

We are confident that everyone’s conscious and responsible behavior will ensure the normal operation of the commission. The aforementioned commission, operating under the auspices of the Public Council to the Minister of Defense, is one of the main addresses for citizens' applications and complaints and the most effective link in resolving them.

Throughout its activity, over 3,000 citizens have benefited from the commission's services. In the previous draft, the commission received 111 applications and complaints, directly participating in solving the issues raised in 68 of them. With the commission’s intervention, 21 conscripts underwent verification medical examinations and 2 surgeries, which revealed important data regarding their illnesses and health issues. In this regard, the role of private medical examinations is also significant, as their data is correlated with other research data and helps lead to more substantiated conclusions.

In total, the fitness statements for military service of 28 conscripts have been reviewed, according to which 18 conscripts were granted deferments of up to 1 year, 5 for 3 years, and 5 were deemed unfit for military service. Additionally, the conscription of 1 conscript has been suspended due to family circumstances. Dear compatriots, despite the current unusual situation, you can be assured that the commission will work with its characteristic impartiality, diligence, and insight,” the statement reads.