Changes Proposed for Mandatory Military Service Participants

It has been proposed that, based on educational and family circumstances, the authority to grant deferments should be reserved for military commissariats, thus halting the powers of regional drafting commissions in this process. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Arman Sargsyan, during the National Assembly session while presenting four draft laws related to military service.

"It is clarified that the leave periods granted to servicemen who undergo shortened mandatory military service between the ages of 27 and 37 will be 10 calendar days for those serving for 1 year or 6 months, while those serving for 1 month will not be granted leave," said the Deputy Minister.

Arman Sargsyan also reminded that the changes and additions envisaged for 2024 included a requirement for individuals who obtained Armenian citizenship between the ages of 27 and 37 and did not undergo military service in another country, as well as Armenian citizens who unlawfully avoided mandatory military service, to either serve or pay a corresponding amount of money. However, this has created certain issues in the process for displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh who are registered under the status of forced displacement while applying for Armenian citizenship.

"Due to forced displacement, in many cases, these individuals have not retained their documents proving their military service, which makes it unjustifiable to impose corresponding obligations on them. This also obstructs further clarification of their status and integration," he added, noting that a regulation is also planned to address this issue.

It is also proposed to lift the ban on involving female servicemen in the daily regime.