Soldiers Prohibited from Making Public Appeals or Statements

In Armenia, soldiers will be prohibited from using smartphones while on duty. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, which discussed a package of bills on amendments and additions to the Statute of the Armed Forces on April 3.

According to him, there will be exceptions in cases determined by the Minister of Defense himself. Additionally, a ban will be introduced on participation in rallies and other similar events related to the expression of public discontent, whether in military or other official forms.

“Soldiers will also be prohibited from making public appeals or statements regarding issues related to military service, as well as political matters. This applies to both personal and collective formats,” Sargsyan stated.

Moreover, military personnel will not have the right to inform or discuss data regarding service, publish videos and photographs in the media, as well as on the internet, without permission from their superiors.

Another innovation concerns contract soldiers. They will have the opportunity to serve up to 10 years after reaching the age limit, based on the principle of annual contract extension. Former officers of the middle and senior levels will also have the opportunity to return to service as contract soldiers.

After relatively brief discussions, the legislative initiative received a positive conclusion from the Standing Committee.