Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Based on the RA Government’s decision, summer 2023 call-up is conducted from April 17 till July 31 included.

During the call-up, 16 conscripts have applied to Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor so far, and the main problem of the majority of them (67%) is related to improper health examinations.

This year, as in past years, conscripts have been applying with other problems, such as the Territorial Divisions of the RA MoD Conscription and Mobilization Service and medical institutions not providing documents on their health examination, consultation regarding grounds for deferral from compulsory military service as established under the RA Government’s decision N 404-N of 12 April 2018, etc.

For the first time, during summer 2023 call-up, in addition to the mentioned problems, the Organization has received information that the medical commission of Territorial Divisions of the RA MoD Conscription and Mobilization Service do not consider conscripts’ complaints as “sufficient grounds” to refer them to examinations and call on them to undergo medical examinations with their own financial means. Based on the results of these examinations, they make a decision regarding the need to refer the conscripts to medical examinations. 

In some cases, after undergoing medical examinations with their own financial means, conscripts are referred by territorial subdivisions to undergo examinations in the same medical institutions.

HCAV considers such an approach inadmissible, since Article 17 of the RA Law on Military Service and Status of Servicemen establishes that in case of enlisting citizens for military service, call-up for compulsory military service, including mobilization call-up, engagement of citizens in contractual military service and training gatherings, expert medical examination and treatment are provided as a priority and free of charge in the frame of state-guaranteed medical aid and service.

The Organization has always voiced the importance of the Central Medical Commission taking into account the results of medical examinations that conscripts undergo with their own financial means, however, forcing or instructing citizens to undergo paid examinations obviously contradicts the procedure established by legislation.

HCAV continues providing free legal support to conscripts and military servicemen, as well as persons registered in the reserve and their relatives.

If you need free legal support, you can apply to Nazeli Movsesyan, Coordinator of the Department of Oversight of Defence and Security Sector, at:

093 111 615 (also viber, whatsapp), 

nmovsesyan@hcav.am .