Out of all religious groups only Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid military serviceApril 5, 2011 - 14:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - 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. Top stories As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. |