The Ministry of Defense (MoD) says the fall military draft has been successfully fulfilled by November 16, the Day of the President of Tajikistan.
The ministry’s official website attributed the rapid completion of the plan to active public awareness campaigns, improved service conditions, increased responsibility among youth, and the effective work of draft commissions.
Despite the draft being finalized, draft commissions will continue their activities until the end of November to address citizens' appeals.
“This year, the number of volunteers wishing to serve in the military has significantly increased compared to previous years. Special attention is being given to recruiting young people with higher education, children of officials, and graduates of specialized institutions,” reads the statement released by a MoD.
However, experts note that the preschedule fulfillment of the fall draft target is also tied to the early start of the campaign and the use of certain illegal recruitment methods by local authorities.
Conscription in Tajikistan remains a sensitive issue. Poor conditions, mistreatment of soldiers, inadequate management, and incidents of fatalities in military units are frequently cited as reasons why many young men refuse to serve in the Tajik army.
The two-month-long effort seeking to enlist young men aged 18-27 for the two-year compulsory military service takes place twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn.
The autumn conscription campaign starts on October 1 and runs through November. The draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old, who are not members of the armed forces reserve.
Young Tajiks can avoid or postpone military service if they are ill, studying at university, an only son, or if they have two children.
Amendments were made to the country’s law on military service in January 2021. The amendments came into effect on February 4, 2021 and young men in Tajikistan who wish to forgo the military service may now do so by paying a fee to the government. A one-month basic reserve service is organized for those who did not perform conscript service for a fee. At the end of basic reserve service they receive military cards.
Besides, under the law on the universal military duty in new edition, graduates of universities having military department will also be drafted into the army for one year.
Only people who have done military service will be permitted to obtain employment with the government or join the army in a professional capacity.
Many young men in Tajikistan try to avoid conscription. One reason is that, as in many former Soviet countries, the Tajik Army is known for the brutal hazing of new recruits. Potential recruits also fear being deployed to conflict zones. Several soldiers were reported killed or wounded in recurring clashes along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border in recent years. There are also overwhelming claims that the rich and powerful use their clout to get their sons out of military service — leading to beliefs that conscription is only for the poor. To avoid the army, many conscript-aged men move to Russia during the twice-a-year drafts in the spring and fall. Some bribe doctors and enlistment officials to secure an exemption on medical grounds.
