On July 10 RA Administrative Court declined
the suit of Vanadzor Office of Helsinki Citizens Assembly versus RA
Ministry of Defense. As it has been reported, the hearings on the case
started on June 26. The plaintiff demanded to oblige the Ministry to
provide information on spring conscription of 2008 in a number of
districts of Lori region. In particular: 1. how many people should have
been called up for mandatory military service in the aforesaid
districts; 2. how many people received call-up papers; 3. how many
people were deferred and for what terms; 4. how many people received
deferment for health or family reasons, or to continue education; 5.
how many people submitted a petition for doing alternative military
service; 6. how many cases on avoiding military service by the draftees
were submitted to court. On the court session of June 26 the defendant
provided the plaintiff with information on four of the six points. At
the same time, the representative of RA Ministry of Defense noted that
the facts about the number of men liable to mandatory military service,
as well as the number of those who have received call-up papers cannot
be published, according to the RA Law “On State and Official Secret”
(see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 26 –
July 2, 2009).
As
the Head of HCA Vanadzor Office Artur Sakunts informed YPC, he intends
to appeal the decision of the RA Administrative Court with the upper
court jurisdiction.
