The head of center of rehabilitation and assistance to the victims of destructive cults, Alexander Amaryan said that out of all religious groups only Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid military service.

In many cases, it is advantageous for Jehovah’s Witnesses to avoid military service, Amaryan told a press conference in Yerevan.

“These people are sentenced to maximum 2-year imprisonment, they spend only 1/3 of this term in prison, after which they emigrate from Armenia as prisoners of conscience and get privileges abroad,” Amaryan said, adding that many similar cases were recorded in Armenia.

According to him, Jehovah’s Witnesses also refuse to serve an alternative military service.

Amaryan noted that currently there are at least 170 Jehovah’s Witnesses among draft dodgers in Armenia.