Expert: Paid military service in Armenia to trigger social inequality and form "army of the poor"

The possibility of replacing Armenia’s two-year mandatory military service with just one month of service for $62,000 could lead to social injustice and heightened inequality, military expert Davit Jamalyan told reporters.

Jamalyan was commenting on a legislative initiative proposed by Hayk Sargsyan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract faction, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the proposed amendments to the law on military service, Armenian citizens would be allowed to choose an alternative form of service: either one month for $62,000 or four months for $47,000. The draft also proposes raising the fee for renouncing Armenian citizenship before the age of 16 to $40,000 and increasing the conscription age limit to 32.

“The common phrase ‘army of the poor’ takes on a very real meaning with this bill. Those with financial means will be able to take advantage of this scheme and serve under privileged conditions, while the burden and risks will fall on those who cannot afford such sums,” Jamalyan stressed.

Beyond the social consequences, he also warned of psychological risks. Growing inequality could fuel internal tensions — particularly amid the persistent military threat Armenia faces, and within the armed forces themselves.

In his view, allowing people to buy their way out of service undermines the army’s authority, reduces its manpower, and could be seen as a step toward its discreditation.

“I cannot imagine such an approach being applied in the Israeli Defence Forces. Any country under threat does everything it can to ensure military service is seen as both a duty and an honour, with equal conditions for everyone,” the expert added.

At a recent cabinet meeting, Armenia’s Defence Minister Suren Papikyan said that a quota would be set ahead of each conscription round to limit the number of individuals eligible for the alternative service mechanism.

However, the criteria for selecting those privileged conscripts have yet to be finalised. Options under discussion include a lottery system or a “first come, first served” approach.

According to Jamalyan, such mechanisms only create fertile ground for corruption and informal arrangements.

The bill, which allows for the reduction of military service in exchange for financial compensation, received the Armenian government’s approval on May 22 and will soon be submitted to parliament for consideration.

By Khagan Isayev