President al-Assad issues legislative decree amending mandatory military service law

Damascus, SANA – President Bashar al-Assad  issued legislative decree no. 33 for 2014 on Wednesday which amends a number of articles of legislative decree no. 30 for 2007 on the mandatory military service law.

As per the amendments, monetary compensation for individuals with residence of no less than 4 years abroad is now USD 8,000, reducing the amount and time from the previous amount of USD 15,000 for five years, while compensation for individuals who were born in an Arab or foreign country until they turned 18 is set at USD 2,500 from the previous amount of USD 500.

The amendments also altered the number of sons per family who may postpone military service, with the numbers becoming as follows: 1 may postpone if 2-4 brothers were performing mandatory, voluntary, or reserve military service, 2 if there were 5-8 brothers in the service, and 3 if there were 9 or more brothers in the service. Before the amendments, only one son could postpone.

The decree also exempts individuals who are above the age of reserve services from posting a bail before receiving permission to travel.

The amendments also removed an exception to the article that stipulated for state establishments to preserve drafted servicemen’s jobs, promotions, and posts until they finish the service, giving contract workers the same benefits as regular employees, as well as workers in the private sector in companies and establishments with over 50 workers, and drafted workers receive the same benefits as their colleagues who are still working.

The decree stipulates for terminating the employment of state workers who fail to join their assigned draft for mandatory or reserve service.

The amendments now allow those who exceeded the age of mandatory service and didn’t serve to pay a monetary compensation of USD 8,000 or it is equivalent in SYP, while before the amount of compensation was based on the individual’s estimated salary according to their education.

H. Sabbagh/ Mazen

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