I Did Not Give an Order to Halt Mobilization: The Prime Minister Responds to Movses Hakobyan

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, assures that he never gave an order to halt the mobilization during the 44-day war. He made this statement during a session of the parliamentary commission investigating the circumstances of the war, in response to a question from Davit Sanasaryan, president of the 'Sovereign Armenia' party, regarding why regulated mobilization was stopped during the conflict.

“I know who initiated the publication of that information – Movses Hakobyan. It was stated that I supposedly gave an order to halt the mobilization. There is no such thing, absolutely nothing like that,” he declared.

During those days, he clarified that individuals recently discharged from the army are exempt from conscription for two years, which he considers illogical, as, according to the Prime Minister, freshly discharged soldiers should constitute the most combat-ready segment of the mobilization resource. This was the reason why Nikol Pashinyan called for voluntary recruitment during the war and instructed local self-government bodies to organize this process.

It is worth noting that on October 5, 2020, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the public in a video message, urging those discharged in the past year to report to the military registration and enlistment offices, as our legislation does not allow for their conscription even during martial law.