DECREE ISSUED BY THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA on Recruitment into the Active Military Service and Measures for Observance the law “On General Obligatory Military Service”

Despite the measures taken by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia, the Ispolcoms of district and city Councils of the people’s Deputies, military registration and enlistment offices and law-enforcement agencies take quite a passive position with regard of recruitment into the active military service and mobilization of reservists that is a violation of the law “On General Obligatory Military Service”.

Heads of organizations, agencies, collective farms and educational institutions do not organize preparatory works with under-conscripts. They provide the job places to the citizens without adequate papers on military registration and “propiska”.

In order to adjust recruitment into the active military service and for the strict observance the Law “On General Military Service”, Presidium of the Abkhaz Supreme Council decrees:

1. To call for the active military in April-June in the troops of the Interior Forces of the Republic of Abkhazia the citizens who have attained the age of 18 by the day of recruitment and have no right for postponing the service.

2. To establish the recruiting Commission of the Republic under the chairmanship of the Head of United Military Mobilization Department of Sukhumi in order to subordinate the regional recruiting Commissions and to monitor their activities.

3. To establish that the call for the active military service outside of the Republic of Abkhazia shall be done pursuant to the concluded agreements and on the basis of the order approved by the Chairman of the Interim Council on coordination of the activities of the armed troops.

4. The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Abkhazia, in coordination with the military-mobilization Services shall strictly observe the procedures of recruitment and initiate the criminal prosecution against those citizens who try to avoid serving in military.

5. The heads of secondary schools, vocational institutions and high schools shall submit the lists of conscript-age citizens to the military-mobilization services.

6. The military-mobilization services shall provide before the 1st May the data on the citizens of conscript-age.

7. The Standing Committee of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia on Human Rights and Inter-ethnic relations shall draft and submit to the Supreme Council of Abkhazia before the 1st May the draft-law “On General Obligatory Military Service” and “On Alternative Military Service”.

8. The Decree comes into force promptly after its adoption.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia V. Ardzinba

31 March, 1992

(Newspaper “Respublika Abkhazia”, # 59, 7 April 1992)