GBAO fulfilled the plan on the first day of the “sweep”

A spring conscription campaign for youth into the armed forces has started in Tajikistan.

Photo: Internet

Within just a few hours on the first day of the spring conscription campaign, known to the public as “oblava,” the plan for spring conscription in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region was fulfilled by 102.5%.

According to the state media “Khovar,” on the first day, the spring conscription plan was fully met by the Farhor District, Roshteh District, and eight cities and districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The Sangvor and Lakhsh districts met their conscription plans at 100%, the Tajikabad District at 105%, the Nurabad District at 101%, the Roshteh District at 100.7%, and GBAO at 102.5%.

The Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan explained the fulfillment of conscription plans in some cities and districts on the first day by “a large number of volunteers and good work by the conscription commissions,” but experts disagree with this.

The conscription of youth into the armed forces of Tajikistan takes place twice a year: in spring from April 1 to May 31 and in autumn from October 1 to November 30. The press secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Faridun Mahmadaliev, stated that citizens of conscription age will be invited to military enlistment offices for study and to update the list of conscripts throughout the year. According to the press secretary, at the enlistment office, the conscript only registers for future conscription.

Mahmadaliev linked the invitation of young people of conscription age throughout the year to preparation before the two-year military service.

Experts believe that the fulfillment of plans in the first days of the conscription campaign in some cities and districts is related to the new edition of the law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Conscription and Military Service,” which states that conscripts will be invited to military enlistment offices throughout the year.

The new edition of the law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Conscription and Military Service” came into effect on January 29, 2021.

Previously, citizens who graduated from universities with military departments were exempt from compulsory military service and were granted the rank of junior lieutenant, but according to the new edition of the law, the rank will be granted after 12 months of service in the army.

Also, according to the new edition of the law, young people of conscription age can be exempted from service by paying 26,880 somoni (a little over 2,000 US dollars).

The issue of conscripting youth into the army of Tajikistan, or “oblava,” has been a pressing problem for many years. Every year, several servicemen of the Tajik army are subjected to torture, and some die as a result of cruel treatment. There have even been cases of servicemen going missing. Most young people avoid military service due to poor conditions. Authorities forcibly recruit them into the army using “oblava,” which often causes disputes in Tajik society.