The Armenian government is tightening punishments for evading military draft and training exercises. A newly submitted draft law proposes up to 3 years’ imprisonment for avoiding military training and 6 years for draft evasion.

Deputy Minister of Justice Gevorg Kocharyan stated that cases of avoiding both mandatory military service and alternative service, as well as military training, have increased significantly, according to Panorama.am .

He noted that in 2023, 1,499 criminal cases were initiated under Articles 461 and 462 of the Criminal Code, and in 2024, the number rose to 1,779—justifying the need for stricter penalties.

“The draft proposes tightening criminal liability under parts one of Articles 461 and 462. For Article 461, which covers draft evasion, the current sentence of 2–5 years would be increased to 3–6 years. For Article 462, covering evasion of training, the maximum fine would be raised from 20 times the base rate to 15–30 times, and the prison term from up to 2 years to 1–3 years,” Kocharyan explained.

Gevorg Manukyan, an MP from the Armenia faction, questioned the law’s enforcement, noting that notifications about the draft or training must be published in the official bulletin Azdarar, which is not consistently done.

In response, Kocharyan assured that if a citizen has not been properly notified, they cannot be held criminally liable.

“This proposed tightening is important, but the enforcement mechanisms accompanying it are still not fully effective,” Manukyan added.