Press release, 30.04.2017

On April 29, Moscow Yabloko Youth held a rally against military conscription and for the transition to a professional army fully based on the contract system.

About 50 people participated in the action. The Libertarian Party of Russia, Vegan action and left-wing activists also joined the action against military conscription.

“Conscription takes away a year from a young man’s life making him leave his family and job for the sake of a doubtful military effectiveness. According to academician Alexei Arbatov, a transition from the draft army to a contract based one will cost only two per cent of the military budget,” Yabloko Youth activist Daniel Agnevsky said in his speech.

The participants of the rally told our correspondent why they decided to participate in the action:

“A transition to a contract based army could improve the situation in the country dramatically. People would join the army because they liked it,” Anna Dmitriyeva said.

“Every citizen must have the choice whether to join the army or not,” Yabloko’s Olga Verbovaya claims.

Yuri Andreyev, a Vegan action activis,t said that he decided to take part in the rally because “any exploitation, whether it concerns a human or an animal, cannot be justified”.

Yabloko Youth activists also call their supporters to sign a petition against military conscription.