The Armenian government plans to largely abolish temporary exemptions from military service that have long been enjoyed by many students of state-run universities.
Armenian law currently allows draft-age male students having government scholarships to perform the two-year compulsory service after completing their undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate studies.
A government bill drafted recently would grant draft deferments only to those students who would agree to undergo parallel military training and serve in the army as officers for three years after graduation.
Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian defended the bill on Wednesday during a parliamentary hearing in Yerevan that was also attended by representatives of various non-governmental organizations. Sargsian said the proposed change would close a key loophole for evading military service in Armenia. It would also reduce “corruption risks” among military and university officials, he said.
“The right to deferment is not abolished, it is simply tied to a [different] type of service,” Sargsian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) after the hearing.
“Statistics shows that only a small percentage of first-time recipients of deferments are eventually drafted,” he said. “So the idea is to ensure that every [male] citizen is able to perform their constitutional duty towards the state: military service.”
The minister made clear that the proposed measure, if approved by the Armenian parliament, will come into effect in January 2021, meaning that it will not apply to students who have already been granted deferments.
Human rights activists attending the discussion expressed concerns over the bill. One of them, Avetik Ishkhanian, said the three-year alternative service could have an adverse impact on students planning to become scientists or scholars. He wondered if the new law would spur their emigration from the country. Sargsian sought to dispel these fears.
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