Artak Voskanyan, who was born in 1975, had had an old, red Soviet Passport till 2011. Tavush section of the Passport and Visa Department of the RA Police refused to change his old passport of the USSR citizen and to provide the Passport of the RA citizen with reasoning that he did not have military registration.
Vahagn Tamrazya, Head of Tavush Anti-Corruption Center (former Tavush AAC) learnt about the citizen’s problem and expressed willingness to support him.
“The process of obtaining the RA citizen’s passport had come to a deadlock because once on some unknown reasons he failed to register in the military registration and enlistment office in result failed to pass the compulsory military service and thus did not have the necessary military documents. However, it is due to mention that at the age of 19, he came to the military registration and enlistment office to register there. But he was informed that his name is missing from the lists and that they shall “call” him in future,” Vahagn Tamrazyan said at the interview to Iravaban.net.
A. Voskanyan’s wife told iravaban.net that her husband had repeatedly applied to Ijevan military registration and enlistment department with request to register him. However he received a reply that the issue of his military registration may be solved only in compliance with the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Citizens who failed to complete Compulsory Military Service through violation of the established Procedure and only when the citizen shall pay the sum of 1.800.000 (one million eight-hundred thousand) AMD.
“No one openly asked us to give a certain sum of money to solve our case. Bribe is never asked for openly. In addition we could put nothing on their tables either,” Lilit Yergaryan said.
Tavush Anti-Corruption Center had sent a great number of letters and notices to Tavush section of the Passport and Visa Department of the RA Police with request to solve the issue. However all these were denied.
“And then we decided to solve the issue judicially. Arpine Yeghikyan, Advocate of our Center compiled a claim to the Administrative Court of the RA. The Court ordered the police to provide a passport of the RA citizen to Artak Voskanyan,” Vahagn Tamrazyan told.
However Passport and Visa Department of the RA Police appealed the court decision. The RA Administrative Court of Appeal considered the appeal and declared 10.05.2011 as the day for pronouncement of judgment.
However, prior to pronouncement of judgment, Ijevan military commissariat registered A. Voskanyan without any payment. Further, Ijevan office of Tavush section of the Passport and Visa Department of the RA Police, which was the respondent in the case, provided him the RA citizen’s passport.
Artak Voskanyan received the RA citizen’s passport, and solved his health problems (which he could not do without the passport), and currently he has found a job.
The parent of two children has a passport and the military service certificate as well.
PS
If you have faced corruption or are a victim of corruption you may apply to the ACC National Network. Please visit 7 Nalbandyan str., suite 2, Yerevan 0010 Republic of Armenia; or call via tall free hotline 080001110or visit our website www.aac.am.
Sona Harutyunyan
Source: Iravaban.net
