Armenia calls up conscripts with health problems for military service

One conscript was deemed fit for military service during the winter conscription in Armenia in 2019.

“The conscript was checked up by the Central Medical Commission for only one of the health problems, meanwhile, it was to conduct a full and objective check-up in terms of all existing problems,” Caliber.Az reports citing the Armenian media.

According to the message, as opposed to the diagnosis made in 2019, the conscript was fully checked up in 2018, as a result of which he was released from military service for one year.

The Central Medical Commission recognised him as partially fit for military service the following year, taking into account the same health problems.

The conscript did not go to the conscription centre due to the biased diagnosis. Otherwise, he would have been drafted with health problems, which could lead to unpredictable consequences.

The Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly was dealing with the conscript’s rights. In a lawsuit, the lawyer asked to invalidate the conclusion of the Central Medical Commission.

The court satisfied the plaintiff's claim, stressing that the conclusion was issued in violation of the law of Armenia "On military service and the status of a serviceman" and other legal acts.

Proceeding from the research conducted by the human rights organisation, 20-25 per cent of fatal cases in the army for at least the past five years were caused by health problems.

One of the reasons is the recruitment of people with health problems.

Conscripts are not fully checked up, and then they are not subjected to an appropriate medical check-up.