Human Rights Defender on Soldiers with Health Issues Being Drafted

We visited a military hospital. I won't discuss this publicly right now, but we will hold a public briefing after making some summaries. This was stated by the Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan during a press briefing, addressing the sharp deterioration in the health condition of 18-year-old Avetik Matevosyan just one day after being drafted.

In response to a question on how a young man with health issues was drafted into the army, the Human Rights Defender replied, "Regarding these issues, of course, without mentioning any names, we regularly attempt to present general problems publicly. I want to particularly emphasize that at this moment, legislation defines under what circumstances individuals can be exempted from military service and when they are recognized as having limitations for service."

According to Manasyan, they regularly present opinions on draft legal acts suggesting reforms. "The current legislation is such, and I have periodically expressed views on this matter, indicating that nonetheless this creates additional problems not only for all of us and for citizens but also from the perspective of military service in the armed forces," she elaborated.

Regarding the Human Rights Defender's authority in cases of violations, the defender clarified that any information that becomes available and is deemed significant from the perspective of a competent state body, regardless of whether a decision on the violation is made, is mandatory to be forwarded, and in many cases, they also make public statements. "Competent bodies should also take action, and in this regard, I believe we will have the opportunity to discuss in much more detail after making several summaries," Manasyan concluded.