Over 210,000 People in Iran Have Registered to Purchase Military Service

A responsible official from Iran's General Staff of Armed Forces announced on Thursday, March 5, that over 210,000 draft dodgers have registered to purchase military service so far. Ibrahim Karimi, deputy head of the General Staff of the Law Enforcement Forces of Iran, stated in an interview with ISNA: "The response to the plan to pay a fine instead of serving in the military for those who have been absent for eight years or more has been so significant that the registration deadline has been extended until the end of the year 1393 (March 2015)." According to Mr. Karimi, in just the past two days, the number of applicants has been such that more than 12,000 people have registered daily, totaling over 210,000 registrations. Recently, members of the Iranian Parliament approved a clause in the 1394 budget bill that allows draft dodgers with over eight years of absence to pay a fine to purchase military service and be exempted from it. The fines are set at 10 million tomans for those without a diploma, 15 million tomans for high school graduates, 20 million tomans for associate degree holders, 25 million tomans for bachelor's degree holders, 30 million tomans for master's degree holders, 35 million tomans for non-medical doctoral degree holders, 40 million tomans for medical doctors, and 50 million tomans for specialist doctors and above. By paying these fines, these individuals will be exempt from military service. According to the clause, it is stipulated that for each additional year of absence beyond eight years, 10% will be added to the base fine amount, and any absence exceeding six months will count as one year. Additionally, according to another clause, married applicants will receive a 5% discount, and for each child, another 5% will be deducted from the total fine amount. Previously, Abbasali Mansouri, a member of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, announced that the number of draft dodgers with over ten years of absence exceeds "2.4 million people." Mr. Mansouri also stated that "300,000" educated Iranians abroad cannot return to Iran due to military service absences. His comments came while Abuzar Nadimi, another member of Parliament, stated in a debate that the number of draft dodgers with over ten years of absence is between one and a half to two million people. Moussa Kamali, deputy head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, also stated on December 22 that "we have 1.5 million young people born after 1976 whose military service status has not yet been clarified." The plan to purchase military service was previously implemented in Iran in 1998 but was ultimately halted in 2000 following opposition from the General Staff of the Armed Forces.