MP suggests increasing age limit for military service from 27 to 37

Member of Parliament Hayk Sargsyan from the ruling Civil Contract faction has introduced a legislative package aimed at preventing draft dodging among conscription-age male citizens. 

Armenia currently has compulsory two-year military service for male citizens from the age of 18 to 27.

Sargsyan said the upper age limit must be set at 37 instead of 27. 

He proposed “setting a base tariff of 15 million drams for persons below 18 in case of renouncing citizenship”. The sum equals the amount paid by draft dodgers as compensation after turning 27 to avoid criminal liability. 

Refusal to undergo medical examination with intent to avoid conscription shall also be criminalized, the MP argued.

Furthermore, the MP proposed to envisage limited service in case of a number of medical conditions which are now grounds for complete exemption from military service.

In another proposal, the MP said citizens must have three options for mandatory service: serve the 24 months and receive high remuneration, pay 15 million drams and serve only 6 months, or pay 20 million drams and serve only 1 month. He said the money shall be used for increasing the monthly stipends of conscripts. 

He said ethnic Armenians from the Diaspora who want to obtain citizenship before reaching the upper age limit of conscription must have a chance to do so by having an option of either passing a reduced service or paying a respective amount to the budget.

He said he is specifically referring to the young men of the Armenian communities of Georgia, the US and other countries. 

“Most of them want to become citizens of Armenia, but they wait until turning 27 to avoid service. I suggest giving these persons the opportunity to either serve one year or pay the defined amount of money upon obtaining citizenship. The money will be directed to the military’s needs, while we will obtain additional conscripts and reservists,” the MP said.

He said over 8,700 young men renounced citizenship before turning 18 in the period of 2020-2024.

In the same period, around 42,000 men obtained Armenian citizenship, but only 7% of them (3,000 persons) did so before turning 27.

“The overwhelming majority is waiting to turn 27 in order to avoid military service. My offer will also encourage them to become citizens of Armenia sooner and not wait to turn 27,” he said.