APP GRATIS

New Military Penal Code: Up to five years in prison for evading service

Those who leave the unit or place where they serve, or fail to appear when they are supposed to do so, incur a penalty of deprivation of liberty for two to five years.

Young people in Military Service (Reference image) Photo © Granma

The National Assembly of Popular Power of Cuba announced this Saturday the newMilitary Penal Code,which punishes those who evade their obligations under the law with up to five years of deprivation of liberty. Active Military Service (SMA).

The third chapter of thelaw, "Crimes against compliance with the obligations of military service", establishes penalties of six months to five years for recruits who in any way attempt to evade compliance with the SMA.

The first section of the regulations, corresponding to "Desertion", indicates that anyone with the intention of "definitively evading military service,leave the unit or place where the service is provided, or fails to appear when required to do so, incurs a penalty of deprivation of liberty for two to five years."

Also incurs the same sanction and with the same penalty "whoever carries out other acts that evidence the intention to definitively evade military service".

Furthermore, according to its third section, those whoself-harm, intentionally contract a disease, falsify medical documentsor resort to "another deception" to avoid military service, they will be punished with imprisonment for a period of six months to two years.

According touseIn a press release published this Saturday by the Cuban Parliament to present the draft law, an email was enabled (codigopenalmilitar@anpp.gob.cu) to "promote citizen participation in the legislative process corresponding to this proposed regulatory provision."

In the coming days, in addition, it will be subjected to "analysis and discussion" by the deputies, with a view to its presentation in the First Ordinary Period of Sessions of the 10th Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power.

The text indicates that for the implementation of the law the result of a group of "investigations on this matter" was considered.

Although a diplomat of the regime stated at the United Nations, during a session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), thatMilitary service in Cuba is “voluntary”, theNational Defense Law, in Decree-Law 224 establishes that all male Cuban citizens are obliged to complete Military Service "in the form and terms established by law."

with the hashtag #NoToMandatoryMilitaryService, a campaign of parents and Internet users demand that the regime repeal the law that requires male adolescents to formalize their registration in the military registry when they turn 16.

The campaign took its toll after several recruits died in the efforts to extinguish the fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base.

The death of young Cubans while performing Military Service is not so uncommon, although in all cases the Cuban regime tries to silence such events.

A young man died this month while serving service in the Holguín Anti-Aircraft Unit, in what an official source described as an "accident."

The accident occurred when a generating set was being moved and the deceased "stumbled in front of the wheels of the equipment, and it ran over him," official profiles said.

The victim, identified as Ennier Hechavarría Silva, was rushed to the hospital after what happened, but died shortly after.

Previously, the tragic suicide of Maikol Arcia Hernández, who suffered from mental disorders that had not been evaluated by military medical authorities.

Born in the town of Güines, province of Mayabeque, the young man spent his Military Service in Unit 6244, belonging to San José de las Lajas.

According to what his grandfather told his grandsonHe was recruited despite suffering a broken jaw in three parts, as a result of a hit he received with an aluminum bat, which forced him to have “a metal sheet with wire points” implanted, which could not be removed and was fixed for life.

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