Armenian blogger defines military training camps in country as “disgrace”

Armenian blogger Vahe Aghajanyan has described the military training camps in Armenia as a “disgrace”.

"The 25-day military training camps in Armenia are a disgrace. If hostilities start, all those who went to the front line after these training camps will be killed, as these people are unable to fulfil the task and are considered by the authorities only as a number to provide the necessary number of soldiers," he wrote on his Facebook page, Caliber.Az reports.

"There is an army that must fulfil the task set before it. And, if the government is not able to use the resources of the army, then it should be expelled and come to people who can solve the problem with the army.

This reserve training will lead to even greater emigration because, for obvious reasons, people who once fulfilled their duty and returned now simply do not want and should not quit their jobs and go to provide numbers, and the question is whether they will be able to return home or not.

Leave the patriotic toasts. It's just a government that has failed in every way,” writes the blogger.

To recap, the Armenian Parliament passed in the second and final reading the draft amendments to the law "On Military Service" on January 16.

MPs from the Civil Contract voted for (61 votes), MPs from the “Armenia” faction voted against (27), and 6 abstained (the “I Have the Honor” faction).

According to the project, which was drafted by Civil Contract MP Hayk Sargsyan, Armenian citizens who failed to serve and left the country can return to Armenia after 27 years and be exempted from criminal prosecution if they serve for two years.

Under another option, they can serve 12 months and pay 2.5 million drams ($6,200), or, respectively, 6 months and 5 million drams ($12,400), 1 month and 10 million drams ($24,800), or 15 million drams ($37,000) without service.

Armenian citizens who obtain citizenship after the age of 27 are exempted from service if they have previously served in the army of another country for 12 months or more. Otherwise, they are exempted from service upon payment of 2.5 million drams ($6,200).