10,000 People Neither Serve Nor Are Prosecuted, Nor Pay Money: Konyoryan

Hayk Konyoryan, the leader of the My Step faction, stated today at the National Assembly that the draft bill proposed by Hayk Sargsyan aims to allow citizens over 27 years old who have not completed mandatory military service to be exempt from criminal liability in exchange for money. This initiative is aimed at combating the consequences of such an exemption.

“Currently, there are about 10,000 citizens who are on the wanted list. These individuals have not served in the army, so it means they should face criminal liability; however, out of those 10,000, only about 4-5 individuals have faced criminal charges. It turns out that 10,000 people are neither serving, nor being prosecuted, nor paying money,” Konyoryan said.

He urged Hayk Sargsyan to hold discussions with MPs and government counterparts regarding the bill during the period between first and second readings, emphasizing that the issue is emotional.

Recall that the National Assembly is discussing, in the first reading, regulations concerning individuals over 27 years old who have not completed mandatory military service. This will allow those who are over 27 and have not served to fulfill their military obligations while avoiding criminal prosecution by choosing one of the following options: serving two years, serving one year and paying 2.5 million dram to the state budget, serving six months and paying 5 million dram, serving one month and paying 10 million dram, or not serving at all and paying 15 million dram.