A Moscow court has ruled to ban four websites for providing information on how to avoid compulsory military service, the TASS news agency reported Wednesday.
“The decision was taken to ban the spread of information online which both encourages and promotes means of evading military service,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on its website.
The court said that the sites contained information evading the draft and on companies which could help “customers” obtain an exemption from service. The sites also encouraged “negative attitudes” towards members of the draft commission,” the statement said.
Military service of one year is mandatory in Russia for men aged 18 to 27 with several exceptions. Cases of evading the draft are widespread, with some estimates claiming that up to half of those eligible do not serve.
Some recruits paying bribes for doctor’s notes on non-existing illnesses, while many academically gifted young men opt for further university study, deferring military service until they are over the call-up age.
In February, TASS reported that recorded cases of attempts to evade military service in Moscow had dropped 45 percent in two and a half years.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
