Defense ministry reportedly proposes to cut the length of regular service from 24 to 18 months

The length of regular service may be cut in Tajikistan from 24 to 18 months, Deputy Minister of Justice, Abdumannon Kholiqzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on February 7.   

“The proposal has been submitted for consideration to President’s Office.  There were proposals to cut the length of regular service to just a year.  But this draft law provides for cutting the length of military service to 18 months.  We are cutting the length of the military service in order to eradicate the so-called “raids” against draft-age young men and stem corruption,” Kholiqzoda said.   

The shorter service time may also help reduce the risk of hazing.  

“We do not have a contract-base military service, but we have offered other options of service in the armed forces of Tajikistan as well.  We have also discussed alternative service options,” the deputy minister said.  

The Minister of Justice, Muzaffar Ashouriyon, however, noted that those proposals were still under consideration.  “Well, it is just a suggestion, and we do not think that all relevant structures agree with this suggestion.  It is just a proposal of the Ministry of Defense, while other relevant ministries and agencies have not yet produced their conclusions on this issue,” the minister said.     

Meanwhile, there have been reports that young Tajik men were being taken from the streets by people in plain clothes during the autumn conscription campaign and sent to serve in the army for two years.  Sometimes, the men were reportedly taken without any prior notice.  Detention like these is illegal according to Tajikistan’s legislation.   

In the northern Sughd province, parents have reportedly faced pressure if their sons of draft age move abroad.

Many young men resist military service because of difficult conditions and the problem of "dedovshchina," the often brutal hazing of new recruits by older soldiers.

Some other people say that service in the army is waste of time.

According to the Ministry of Defense, every year, some 15,000-16,000 young Tajik men are drafted into the country’s armed forces.  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.

According to official data, some 600,000 young men in Tajikistan are eligible for military service, but some 150,000 of them have received draft deferments or are exempted from the military service.

Young Tajiks can avoid or postpone military service if they are ill, studying at university, an only son, or if they have two children.