ARMENIAN DESERTERS OVER 27 CAN RANSOM THEMSELVES FROM PRISON

The National Assembly of Armenia today passed a law “On citizens, who have not passed compulsory military service.” Presenting the bill vice-speaker Vahan Hovhannisian reported it is applicable to people over 27, who have broken the corresponding law and did not pass the compulsory service in the armed forces. The law provides for cessation of criminal prosecution of those people in case they pay a sum equal to 100 average salaries for each conscription missed. The funds raised will be used to increase the number of contract servicemen in the Armenian army. According to various estimates, over 15 thousand Armenian citizens, most of whom today reside outside the republic, in their time evaded from service in the army.