Armenia keeps recruiting unfit soldiers
By Jamila Babayeva
The Armenian Defense Ministry keeps replenishing the ranks of the country's national army with unfit young men.
In a newly-released reprot, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office said another young man with thoracic kyphosis has been called to the military conscription.
"The office has repeatedly informed the public about cases of conscription of young men with health problems. Most of these servicemen perform their services in military hospitals. Why should they be called to serve in the army if they are obviously unfit," the statement noted.
The organization said that in 2011 the young man underwent medical examinations at Erebuni Medical Center and was diagnosed with thoracic kyphosis (angle 66 degrees). In accordance with Article 36 of the Order No.410 of the Defense Ministry, in such cases the conscript is exempted from military service or is granted determent. "The young man was granted a three-year determent. In 2014 he was called up for military service with this reasoning that he has an admissible kyphosis (angle 60 degrees) for the service," the document reads.
However, the young man underwent another examination at a different medical center and was diagnosed with a 62-degree kyphosis, which made him unfit for military service.
The statement further noted that the young man applied to the Defense Ministry on July 11 and 18 with the support of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office to revise his conscription but has received no reply yet.
The office addressed a letter to Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan to revise the legality of the ill young man's conscription. The organization urged Ohanyan to pay much attention to this and other conscription-related cases and provide the conscripts with proper medical assistance to evade further problems.
Armenian army is plagued with lawlessness. The ombudsman's last report indicated serious problems during medical examinations of young men who were called to the military service.
"Most of the people called up for military service have not gone through medical examinations. Some 728 complaints have been registered against the military medical commissions," the document reads.