Bill offers five options for draft dodgers aged 27–37

PanARMENIAN.Net - The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security has approved a bill authored by MP Hayk Sargsyan to address the legal status of Armenian citizens aged 27 to 37 who did not complete mandatory military service and currently face criminal liability.

Sargsyan noted that around 1,200 citizens residing abroad are under investigation or wanted by law enforcement for draft evasion. Many avoid returning to Armenia, fearing 2–5 years of imprisonment, with no legal alternatives.

The proposed amendments to the Law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen offer five legal pathways for eligible citizens to return voluntarily and avoid criminal prosecution:

1. Serve 24 months of military duty.
2. Serve 12 months and pay 2.5 million AMD.
3. Serve 6 months and pay 5 million AMD.
4. Serve 1 month and pay 10 million AMD.
5. Serve no time and pay 15 million AMD to the state budget.

Sargsyan justified the inclusion of a 24-month option, despite the current draft term being 18 months, by stating the bill applies to those born in 1999–2000, when the legal term was still 24 months — ensuring fairness.

He also addressed a loophole affecting some citizens over 27 who register with the military system but are not conscripted. Under current law, they still receive a military ID and passport but serve no time. The bill proposes that such individuals pay 15 million AMD.

Sargsyan argued the reform is economically beneficial: the state currently spends approximately 437,900 AMD per prisoner annually. If each of the 1,200 citizens served a 3-year sentence, the state could spend up to 19 billion AMD overall.

Committee Deputy Chair Armen Khachatryan urged colleagues to support the initiative, which the committee ultimately endorsed.