Amnesty to Be Applied to Individuals Who Avoided Conscription: Government to Approve Decision Tomorrow

A draft law titled “On Declaring Amnesty for Individuals Who Have Avoided Conscription for Mandatory Military or Alternative Service, Training Assemblies, or Mobilization” has been developed and will be presented at the government meeting on April 8.

The government of the Republic of Armenia proposes to declare amnesty for male citizens who reached the age of 27 by September 26, 2020, inclusive, regarding mandatory military or alternative service, as well as those who have avoided declared training meetings and/or mobilization and are suspected, accused, or convicted of committing a crime under only part 1 of Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

Specifically, the draft proposes: 1) to announce amnesty and exempt individuals from punishment: a. who have been sentenced to imprisonment; b. whose sentence has been conditionally not applied, or the execution of the sentence has been postponed; c. who have been sentenced to a penalty not related to imprisonment. 2) to announce amnesty and cease the supervision of persons who have been conditionally released early from serving their sentences.

It should also be noted that the draft includes conditions under which amnesty will not be applied. Notably, it is stipulated that amnesty will also be applied to those individuals who are wanted prior to the enforcement of this law and who voluntarily present themselves to prosecutorial bodies, or if the case is under court proceedings, to the court, by December 31, 2021, inclusive.