Clarification on Service Organization for Brothers in the Same Military Unit

The package of legislative proposals for amendments and additions to the laws on "Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel" has been approved. The draft laws clarify the organization of service for brothers in the same military unit and the application of legal consequences for citizens who have signed contracts for military service under conditions and locations set by the Ministry.

Additionally, it grants the right for soldiers released from contractual military service due to disabilities related to military service, or who have been temporarily deemed unfit for service due to enemy actions, to obtain a transfer to private ownership of the provided service housing. There are also clarifications regarding the relationships related to applications filed by former servicemen who have been released from contractual military service and have unused vacation days yet received no compensation or partial compensation for them.

Specifically, Article 26, Part 4 of the law establishes the conditions under which brothers called for mandatory military service can serve in the same unit if one brother is already in service. The drafted brother is sent to the unit of the serving brother if the latter's service term does not exceed 17 months or if the unit is eligible for replenishment within the announced draft.

Analysis shows that compared to the last 6 months of service (18+), there are more cases of calling the second brother with a service term between 17 and 18 months. In these cases, it is often impossible to fulfill requests for service at the same unit as the brother, primarily causing dissatisfaction among the parents of servicemen. At the same time, there have been instances where replenishment in the brother’s unit was planned, but only for specific professional positions, where the draftee did not have the required specialization.

Currently, there is no legal restriction on assigning the drafted brother to the same military unit as his brother, as replenishment is planned, but it is practically impossible to send the draftee there due to specific specialization requirements. To resolve these issues, it is deemed appropriate to extend the service term from 17 to 18 months and to reject the drafted brother’s request to serve in the brother's unit if replenishment is only intended for specific professional assignments where the draftee lacks the appropriate specialization.

The government has approved a draft law for amendments to the Criminal Executive Code. With this proposed regulation, individuals sentenced to imprisonment who require medical assistance and care under hospital conditions will serve their sentences in a healthcare penal institution. This is expected to properly organize medical assistance and services for sentenced individuals.

Moreover, the government has also approved a draft law for amending the law on the structure and function of the government. The adoption of this draft will legally establish the right of the Armenian government to approve sectoral investment programs, thereby ensuring legal certainty in granting approval for these initiatives.