In spite of mass protests and numerous statements of human rights activists, the Russian State Duma, on June 14, adopted a package of “revolutionary” laws for the Russian army in the last third reading. These laws abolish a few draft deferments and curtail the mandatory military service to 12 months from January 1, 2008. Protest actions against the abolition of draft deferments were held all over the country. (23-JUN-06)
Text: HRH/Moscow, Yanina Savenko. Sources: www.hro.org, www.newsru.com, www.interfax.ru, www.portal-credo.ru, www.rian.ru. Photos: www.rprf.ru, www.gazeta.ru
Four of the 25 present draft deferments were completely abolished. Including those for students of religious institutions and for gifted art and culture representatives and 
also for persons whose wives are expecting a baby (if the pregnancy is more than 26 weeks) or if they already have a baby under three years old. However, the last draft deferment remains if a pregnant wife already has a child and if a conscript has two or more children. Besides, a draft deferment for persons who take permanent care of their close relatives – disabled and aged persons – will be granted only after a socio-medical examination, proving an absolute necessity of permanent nursing. According to Chairwoman of the Union of Committees of Soldiers Mothers, Valentina Melnikova, this law is contrary to the Family Code of the Russian Federation and this case should be taken to the Constitutional Court in order to repeal the law. “Neither our deputies nor the government worry about the fate of disabled persons – these grandmas and granddads, mums and dads – who won’t live even a month without help of their son or grandson,” – said Valentina Melnikova.
12 months of mandatory military service
The law establishes phased reduction of compulsory military service – from 24 months to 12. This change must be accomplished to the 2008. The alternative civil service will be reduced to 21 months. At the same time the Ministry of Defense is going to carry out a reform of the educational military system. An officer, who graduates from a military institute, must do military service under the contract within three years. In case of refusal to negotiate this contract he must refund the state expenses spent for his studying. On June 23 the Federal Council adopted the laws.
Talented musicians will leave the Russian Federation
“The abolition of draft deferments for talented musicians and ballet dancers will provoke them to leave the country and to go abroad,” believes Minister of Culture and Mass Communications Alexander Sokolov. Specific characteristics of this area, which involve long professional training from childhood, “bars any intervals for musicians and first of all for instrumentalists,” said Sokolov. He added that culmination of a ballet dancer’s creative work falls exactly on the call-up age. “The adoption of laws which abolish a draft deferment for seminarians is catastrophic for us,” said a representative of the priesthood. Following the abolition of draft deferments about ¾ of students from theological seminary will be drafted. And “it’s a problem which prejudices the whole system of theological education of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
Mass protests against the law
The June 17 protest action “For a Professional Army!” was held in Moscow. The action was organized by the Republic Party of the Russian Federation, the Union of 
Soldiers Mothers Committees and the Union of Rights Forces. “Abolition of draft deferments is a sign of debility of our military leaders,” said Valentina Melnikova, Chairwoman of the Union of Committees of Soldiers Mothers. According to Valentina Melnikova a soldier in contemporary the Russian Federation has fewer rights than a prisoner. “A draft army cannot be modern, powerful and effective because this army is half educated, half trained, beggarly and non-professional,” said Vladimir Ryzhkov, leader of the Republic Party of the Russian Federation. “We are in favor of a powerful army, but we believe that today, when military forces are brought up to strength by very complicated defense technology, only a professional army can be a powerful one.” According to participants of the rally the abolition of draft deferments will change nothing and it’s a step toward further conservation of the present situation in the military – with unbearable conditions of military service and rampant hazing (“dedovshchina “). The participants of the action decided to appeal to the President of the Russian Federation and to the Federal Council, asking them not to adopt this law and to dismiss Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov, “because he doesn’t understand what a modern army is”. Protest actions “For a Professional Army!” were held in more than 30 regions of the Russian Federation.
