Army evadors to pay 2.7bln amd to Armenia’s state budget

YEREVAN, December 22. /ARKA/. The Armenian citizens aged 27 who evaded active service paid fines totaling 2.7bln AMD to Armenia’s state budget from March 1, 2004, to December 5, 2008, RA Deputy Minister of Defense Ara Nazaryan stated at the parliament hearings of the issue of prolongation of the act on citizens that did not do their military service in defiance of the established order.

“After the law took effect on March 1, 2004, a special interagency commission was formed in Armenia. By December 12, 2008, it had held 72 sittings, discussed 4,045 cases and made 4,002 decisions. Under the decisions, as of December 5, the evadors paid fines totaling 2.7bln AMD,” he said.

Nazaryan reported that the law is applied to the persons that had evaded conscription since 1992 and reached the age of 27 by October 21, 2007, (35 for reservists).

Nazaryan said that, after the fines have been paid, all the documents are sent to the relevant agencies for criminal cases to be dismissed. He pointed out that the agencies have not yet raised any objections to the law.

According to Nazaryan, the cases were mostly discussed in the applicants’ absence. He pointed out that positive decisions were mostly made, and the dubious cases are normally sent back to the military registration and enlistment offices.

Nazaryan stressed that the commissions were impartial in discussing the issues. “We have not had any cases of objections to the amount of penalty to be paid by the evadors. Also, the Prosecutor General’s Office received 41 petitions after the law expired on October 31, 2007. The petitioners are ready to pay the statutory fines,” Nazaryan said.

Considering the above, he pointed out the advisability for the prolongation of the law, which will allow citizens to settle the issues by law.

The penalty size is 100,000 AMD for each conscription. –0--