KONIBODOM, May 14, 2013, Asia-Plus – Recruitment officers have reportedly shanghaied students from the madrassah in the northern city of Konibodom.

On May 12, recruitment officers entered the dormitory of the Konibodom madrassah during the evening prayer and detained more than 20 students.

The students’ relatives say the majority of the detained students are graduating students and they have to pass final examinations.

“It is strange that officers from the Isfara military registration and enlistment office raided the dormitory while the majority of students living in the madrassah dormitory are residents of the Kuhistoni Mastchoh district,” the relatives said.

The chief of the Konibodom military registration and enlistment office, Rustamjon Isroilov, confirmed this information, noting that he heard of that only the next morning.  “I am not well aware.  Probably, recruitment officers were seeking those having permanent residence in Isfara,” said Isroilov.  “But why recruitment officers from Isfara made raids in Konibodom?”

Meanwhile, the Isfara military registration and enlistment office had denied this information as baseless.

We will recall that the spring conscription campaign is carried out from April through May, and the draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old who are not members of the armed forces reserve.  Young Tajiks can avoid or postpone military service if they are ill, studying at university, an only son, or if they have two children.