Conscript with Illness Served for 1.5 Years before Being Recognized “Unfit” for Service

Soldier was recognized “unfit” for military service and was released 1.5 years after conscription. 

A.D. conscripted in the summer of 2017 for military service with limitations was recognized unfit for military service only 1.5 years later thanks to the efforts of Vanadzor Helsinki Citizen Assembly. The information was received by the Helsinki Assembly Vanadzor office on January 9, 2019 signed by G. Hayrapetyan, head of staff of the Defense Ministry.

A.D. diagnosed with splenomegalia, cytolytic liver syndrome, hyperbilirubinemia was deferred from service for 5 months for treatment and improvement of health and during the drafting of summer 2017 he was recognized fit for military service with limitations and was taken to the army. Since the start of the service, he was constantly under medical supervision, underwent examinations and treatments.

1 month after being drafted, A.D. was taken to Central Military Clinical Hospital of Yerevan, and was recognized not fit for military service by the Military Medical Committee of the Ministry of Defense, however this decision was revoked at the Central military Medical Committee and he was recognized able for military service with limitations and was transferred to the military unit.

This decision of the Central Medical Military Committee of July 13 2017 was made as a result of inadequate diagnosis, the Committee omitted the obvious illnesses and based its decision only on some of the illnesses.

Vanadzor office of Helsinki Assembly embarked on defending A.D.’s rights since February 2018 and made an appeal to Minister V. Sargsyan for repeat medical examinations and revision of his health status for military service. The response received on March 12, 2018 from the head of Armed Forces headquarters was that the soldier had undergone all due examinations and was treated and there was no need for revising his status.

In the meanwhile, A.D.’s father insisted that his son’s condition was getting worse, that he had lost consciousness several times.

On July 6, 2018, Vanadzor Helsinki Assembly wrote to the Defense Minister D. Tonoyan again.

The response was that the soldier was undergoing examination and treatment, only on January 9 2019 was he sent to military medical committee’s repeat examination and was recognized unfit for military service and was released from the army after having served 1.5 years.