Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

During the 2024 summer conscription (started on April 29 and continues until August 15), HCAV has provided legal support to 41 conscripts from different regions of the RA. The majority of conscripts' issues referred to the improper examination of their health and the conclusions that do not correspond to their health condition. 

The conscripts previously receiving deferment also face these problems. As an example, let us bring the case of A. P., whose rights have been protected by the Organization since 2023. In 2022 winter conscription, A. P. was granted deferment for 10 months due to his several heart-related health problems. In the winter conscription of 2023, despite the fact that no improvement was recorded in the health of the conscript, the Conscription and Mobilization Service of the RA Ministry of Defense found him fit for the military service with limitations. Let us note that during the examinations of the same winter conscription of 2023, A.P. experienced episodes of cardiac arrest. Though A. P. was found fit with limitations, he was not conscripted into military service in 2023 under Article 53 of the RA Government's April 12, 2018, N 405-N decree, according to which “In the case that the necessary examinations of the conscript's health are not completed during the announced conscription, no conclusion of the CMC is made, the relevant examinations continue after the announced conscription, and the conscript is submitted to the CMC examination during the next conscription.”

The examination of the health condition of A.P. continued after the winter conscription in the March-April months. The latter was presented for the summer conscription of 2024. The results of the examination of the health condition of A. P. are not fully presented in the conclusions of the CMC of the summer conscription of 2024. Based on the mentioned results, A. P. should have been examined by the CMC under Article 26, point "g" of the RA Government's 2018 404-N decree and found as temporarily unfit for the military service, while the latter was examined under point “d” of the same article and was found fit with limitations. 

Continuing the protection of the rights of A. P., in June 2024, HCAV applied to the Ministry of Defense of RA and the Conscription and Mobilization Service of MoD, demanding to examine the conscript according to the article of his health condition and to find him as temporarily unfit, granting deferment from military service for a period of 3 years. 

Based on the HCAV application, A. P. was referred for additional examination, and by those results, the latter was found to be “in need of treatment." A deferment was granted for a period of up to 1 year. 

As notes Nazeli Movsesyan, the coordinator of the department of oversight of the defense and security sector, the case of A.P. is another indicator that the central medical committee does not carry out a comprehensive and objective examination of the health of conscripts; the results are being ignored, which have significant importance for deciding the fitness of conscripts for the military service. 

Last week, we published the problems recorded during the summer conscription of 2024, which we continue to collect: Let us remind you that 2024 summer conscription has been extended until August 15. HCA Vanadzor continues to provide free legal support to conscripts, as well as persons subject to military registration and registered in the reserve force, servicemen, and their relatives. 

To get free legal support, you can apply to the HCA Vanadzor:

093111615, nmovsesyan@hcav.am: Nazeli Movsesyan

094582792, apetrosyan@hcav.am: Anush Petrosyan