The Armenian Ministry of Defense has initiated legislative changes aimed at strengthening accountability for evading military conscription. The proposed amendments focus not only on harsher penalties but also on clarifying the role of the military police in the conscription process.
The current legislation, according to the Ministry, does not clearly define all possible forms of draft evasion, making it difficult to fully assess the extent of such violations. This legal ambiguity allows some citizens to avoid responsibility by using formalistic excuses, such as self-harm, simulating illness, forging documents, and other deceptive methods. The existing legislation’s punishment is considered too lenient, which encourages such evasion.
The proposed changes aim to specifically define the various forms of evading military service, including failing to appear at the military commissariat at the place of registration, avoiding medical examinations, refusing to participate in training exercises, self-inflicted injury, simulating illness, forging documents, and other similar actions. For general cases of evasion, the penalties include fines, short-term detention, or imprisonment. For more serious offenses, such as self-harm or document forgery, the punishment can reach two to five years of imprisonment.
The amendments also address the role of the military police in the conscription process. The proposed changes expand the military police’s authority, assigning them broader functions, such as delivering summonses to liable citizens, compelling conscripts to appear at the military commissariat, identifying and monitoring the movement of those evading the draft, supporting the organization of the conscription, and more. The military police will have the right to search for individuals evading military conscription and take necessary measures to locate and ensure their appearance for conscription.
It is expected that the adoption of these changes will increase the effectiveness of the conscription system, reduce the number of evaders, and ensure the full implementation of the draft. The stricter penalties and the involvement of the military police will create a more robust system of control and accountability.