Pay to Avoid Service: Parliament Approves New Bill on First Reading

The National Assembly has approved, in a special session, the bill on amendments and additions to the "Law on Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel" on the first reading. It should be noted that 63 parliamentarians voted in favor, none against, and 25 abstained.

The author of the bill is MP Haik Sarksyan from the "Civil Contract" faction. He has proposed allowing individuals who are over 27 years old and have not completed mandatory military service the option to fulfill their military duty while avoiding criminal prosecution by choosing among the following arrangements: 1. serving for two years, 2. serving for one year and paying 2.5 million AMD to the state budget, 3. serving for six months and paying 5 million AMD to the state budget, 4. serving for one month and paying 10 million AMD, 5. not serving and paying 15 million AMD.

According to the MP, this initiative could bring in 10 billion AMD to the state budget, and over 5,000 individuals would fulfill their mandatory military service. Sarksyan pointed out that there are currently more than 10,000 citizens who are wanted for not serving.

Sarksyan stated, "I do not wish for us to pardon these individuals again in order to exempt them from responsibility. At the same time, I do not want citizens who have avoided service to be simply condemned; if we are condemning an individual, the state spends about 5 million AMD per year for each convicted person."