320 youth return to Armenia to serve in the army after Prime Minister’s appeals

320 Armenian citizens returned to Armenia since Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made public appeals regarding military conscription. Among them, 156 people previously evaded military service, Artak Davtyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, reported.

The summer draft started today, 2 June.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made several appeals to Armenian citizens who live abroad and evade military service with a call to return and fulfill their duties.

“I say this as a citizen and as a Prime Minister, who, in the event of the outbreak of war (Lord forbid), must fulfill the duties of supreme commander-in-chief, I consider it important to address our compatriots by 28 May, my brothers and their parents, my brothers and sisters: may our children make a decision and return to Armenia as soon as possible and go to the army for temporary military service, along with my son.”

Pashinyan also said that he is going to issue a special decree, according to which those evading service will not be persecuted under the law.

“We’re waiting for everybody! This is a new Armenia, where we do not shy away from military service, from where we do not emigrate, where we return – to incur their share of duty and duty for the sake of the future of Armenia.”

Pashinyan cited his son as an example. Ashot Pashinyan entered Tartu University. However, this year he turned 18 years old, the conscription age, and returned to Armenia. He will serve starting this summer. He is to be deployed to the volatile Nagorno Karabakh region at his own request.