Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Gyumri resident Narek has already dealt with the military commissariat due to health-related issues. He says it was unpleasant to undergo medical examination simultaneously with other conscripts in the same room. Military commissariat employees do not follow the basic rules of ethics while communicating with conscripts, whereas such situations should be ruled out. He told Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor about this during the training held for persons subject to military enlistment in the RA, conscripts, servicemen and their family members. According to Narek, such meetings are very important, because mostly, people do not probe deep and later face a lot of problems in the army, ″I myself had problems related to the medical examination during the call-up. Whatever I heard here, I am going to tell all my acquaintances of pre-conscription age so as to help them avoid all that″.

Among more than 20 participants of the training held by HCA Vanadzor on February 24, 2020, in Gyumri State University of Economics, there were many persons of conscription age who had a lot of questions regarding the call-up and conscription legislation. During the training that lasted for about 5 hours, Armine Sadikyan, Coordinator of Peacebuilding Projects of HCA Vanadzor, and Hayk Hakobyan, one of the lawyers of the Organization, gave details regarding legislative and legal regulations related to conscription.

According to trainer Armine Sadikyan, there have been certain changes in the legislation, but it is not sufficient. Conscripts and their family members still face problems. For that purpose, HCA Vanadzor team visits regions and gives people information regarding their rights so as to help them build right relationship in the army and not hesitate to stand up for their rights, if necessary. 

Agapi Manukyan had come for her friends. She took notes of all the answers to transfer them to her friends, ″I had a purpose to disseminate the training. It was very important and will give me an opportunity to enrich my knowledge in this sphere and disseminate this information among my friends who are going to join the military service, but, for some reason, were unable to participate in this training. Most of them are not interested in their rights, they just receive their notification and that’s it. Not aware of anything, they leave for the army and face problems there, for example, they don’t know on what basis they can be exempted from the service or be recognized fit for military service with limitations. HCA Vanadzor is also a very good source for me to engage in new research study″.

The training was conducted in a format of interactive questions and answers. The trainers talked about the rights of pre-conscription age persons, conscription age persons and servicemen, the procedure of medical examination and appeal mechanisms. HCA Vanadzor will also conduct a series of legal awareness trainings in Aragatsotn and Kotayk regions in order to contribute to the increase of the level of conscripts’ and servicemen’s awareness of their rights. We shall provide additional information on the schedule of the trainings to be conducted.   

To participate in the trainings, to get legal support and legal consultation, please, register in advance by sending a letter to asadikyan@hcav.am or call 0322 4 22 68, 094 042268. Transportation costs are reimbursed.  

Other photos are available HERE