Defense Ministry Acknowledges Forced Conscription Cases, Calls Practice “Unacceptable”

Young men in Kazakhstan are reportedly being drafted into military service directly from the streets — a practice the Ministry of Defense admits is unacceptable, Orda.kz reports.

Deputy Minister Sultan Kamaletdinov acknowledged the issue during a recent statement.

Unfortunately, such facts exist. This is unacceptable. But at the same time, I would like to note that our state has a defined principle — law and order. Article 36 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan speaks of the citizen's duty, and not of voluntariness. If a citizen does not fulfill his duty, then the law must apply to him as well, he said.

When asked whether any action would be taken against those responsible for the violations, Kamaletdinov emphasized that each case would be investigated.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister noted that during his tenure as Chief of the General Staff, “such incidents were not officially recorded.”

Original Author: Artyom Volkov