A Klaipeda resident who dreamed of becoming a firefighter or a policeman avoided the army: he was afraid of blood and guns

“I’m afraid of blood and guns,” asked Elvydas D. when asked why she avoided compulsory military service.

These excuses did not help him – Judge Violeta Olcvikienė, who evaluated the material collected by the prosecutors during the judicial investigation, announced that a resident of the port who had committed a criminal offense against the National Defense Service and the mobilization would have to pay a fine of a thousand euros to the state budget.

“The court concludes that Elvydas D., as a conscript (…) deliberately, systematically and maliciously failed to fulfill the duties of a conscript and therefore avoided conscription for compulsory military service,” said the judge who met the criminal case.

According to her, the accused confessed to having committed a crime and sincerely regrets his conduct, which is recognized as a mitigating circumstance of his responsibility.

Based on the case data, it was established that Elvydas D. was included in the 2021. list of recruits and had to go to the Klaipėda Regional Military Recruitment and Procurement Division at the end of January to provide the necessary data. But the convener did not comply with the obligation, so he was invited again and again, but did not return. Yes, according to prosecutors, Elvydas D. intentionally, systematically and maliciously failed to fulfill the duties of a conscript and thus avoided conscription for compulsory military service.

For not complying with the instructions, Elvydas D. was repeatedly prosecuted and fined 15 to 100 euros, but this did not change the situation either.

The defendant argued during questioning that he avoided military service just because he was afraid … of blood and guns.

He said that after graduating he acquired the profession of logistics freight forwarder and intended to work in the specialty, but still could not find work.

“Then I signed up for the Employment Service, but I didn’t receive any job offers either, so I didn’t get a job anywhere,” he said. – After a while, I thought that it would probably be appropriate for me to retrain, for example, to be able to work as a civil servant and have a guaranteed job. I was thinking about the profession of firefighter or policeman, and the army did not suit me because I was afraid of blood and weapons ”.

Although he dreamed of working as a policeman or firefighter, Elvydas D. did not even lift a finger to become him: “I thought I had to go to study, but I had not yet presented the documents, maybe I would have.” I did it later. “

Elvydas D. did not hide that he did not know that in January he was called up for compulsory military service; This was not only announced on the draft lists, but summons were sent home as well.

“I understood from the documents that I was on the lists of recruits and that they called me to serve in the army, but I did not respond to the calls that were sent to me, because I thought that if I did not go, everything would be fine. Forgotten, nobody would look for me and I would serve. in the army “.

When repeated summons were sent to the man’s home, Elvydas D. did not change his mind.

“At that time, he had not yet decided whether he would serve in the Lithuanian army, because at that time he was looking for a professional job, hoping to work in a specialty,” he said. – I did not want much to serve in the army, because basically I do not like the forced obligation to perform military service. In my personal opinion, people should volunteer to serve in the military, and those who don’t may not be able to serve and act as free people. “

But no one cared about Elvydas D.’s opinion, although the man paid the administrative fines that were imposed on him, he did not go to military service.

“I kept thinking that everything would be forgotten and that in the end no one would look for me anymore,” said the Klaipėda resident during the survey. Yes, according to him, the mandatory services managed to avoid many of his friends and acquaintances.

Delfi.lt remember that the military announced in 2021 lists of recruits, which include about 38 thousand. 18-23 young people. Of these, 3,828 recruits were planned to serve in various units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The Seimas renewed the nine-month permanent mandatory initial military service in 2015. in the spring. This was done in light of the changing geopolitical situation and threats to national security.

The re-establishment of conscript service also aims to strengthen and accelerate the filling of military units with soldiers of professional military service, forming a sufficient reserve prepared by the army and ensuring adequate preparation of citizens to defend their status.