Will Azerbaijani homosexuals be drafted to army? - PROBLEM

Until a few years ago, according to the decision known as the "Do not Ask, Do not Tell", women and men homosexuals could serve in the army, without disclosing their sexual orientation. Obama subsequently abolished this rule. The principle of "Do not Ask, Do not Tell" was used in the U.S. for 18 years. In 1993 the service of homosexuals in the military was banned. According to this policy, even if homosexuals served in the army, when discovered they could be removed from the armed forces. And what about similar legislation in Azerbaijan? It is not an idle question, given that in recent years we have seen evidence of sexual violence in the military. Even if we know the causes of this kind of conduct, how could we decide whether a young man belongs to a sexual minority or not?

A representative of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription, who asked not be named, in the comments for ANN.Az reported that during the call the matter is taken under special control. "In general, suitability of all soldiers for military service is determined after a serious examination procedure. If the specified question rises and a suspicion of that appears, for this we have special inspection rooms. In these rooms for a specified time professionals determine the propensity of a young man to homosexuality. In this case, of course, these people are not called up for military service. A few days ago, Mr. Minister signed another order. According to the order, recruits will undergo a medical examination not once, but twice. And it will help bridge the gaps that have taken place in connection with the issue raised by you," he said.

The military expert Uzeyir Jafarov told ANN.Az that since the army is an integral part of society, it is quite normal that things taking place in the civilian world also take place in the army. "We somehow forget that the army is an integral part of our society. Any negative facts occurring in Azerbaijan - drug addiction, theft, rape, etc., are inherent in the armed forces. Unlike civil society here they happen on a smaller scale, but they happen and these facts have a strong resonance. So before calling up youths to the army we must carry out certain work, so that serious consequences are not observed later. Various government agencies operate as if apart from each other. In particular, one might recall the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription that is functionally responsible for the matter. They deal only with sending off recruits to the army and registering them upon their return from military service. Therefore many important issues remain unnoticed," the expert said.

Jafarov also said that to prevent such facts state bodies should be closely coordinated with each other. " The problem you noted is very serious and very troublesome. The military draft entity should work closely with the ministries of education and health, to identify people with such inclinations, and track their life later. And the relevant law enforcement agencies should be informed of this. With the necessary information certain steps could be also taken by the commanders of military units. Sometimes many tragic accidents occur precisely because of their lack of information," the military expert said.

Seymour

ANN.Az