The military police have imposed an administrative fine on 91 conscripts of the National Defense Service (VAD) for failing to appear for a medical examination at the time and place specified in the summons without good reason, the Ministry of Defense reports.

The administrative penalty for failure to appear for a medical examination at the time specified in the summons is a warning or a fine of up to 350 euros. Penalties vary, but no conscript has been fined more than 50 euros.

The imposition of an administrative penalty does not release conscripts from the obligation to undergo a medical examination and they will be transferred to the next military service, the ministry said.

There is no criminal prosecution for evading service for national defence purposes.

If you fail to report for duty, the military police can impose a fine of between 50 and 5,000 euros.

The military police decide on the amount of the fine. If the fine is not paid voluntarily, the enforcement order issued by the military police will be handed over to a sworn bailiff for enforcement, whereby the provisions of the civil procedural law on the collection of monetary amounts will apply, the ministry said.

Payment of the fine does not release the person from the obligation imposed by the administrative act to arrive at the place of duty. The military police may also forcibly bring a conscript to the place of duty.

Currently, the Ministry of Defense has forwarded five cases to the military police concerning conscripts who did not voluntarily comply with the decision of the Ministry of Defense regarding their call-up to military service for national defense by not arriving at the place of duty within the time specified in the notification, the ministry said.

Conscripts are forcibly taken to their place of deployment and fined between 50 and 5,000 euros.

It has already been reported that the first recruitment to the VAD began in July 2023 on a voluntary basis and ended in May 2024. On January 23 this year, a random selection of candidates for the national defense service took place for the first time.

June 15, 2024 marked the end of the application deadline for the January 2025 draft, which allows volunteers to serve in the NBS unit, the National Guard, and the Reserve Officer Program.

Latvian citizens are encouraged to volunteer for conscription in the future, but if necessary, any number of persons between the ages of 18 and 19 will be called up, either by sending the call-up notice by email to the National Defence Service or to the specified residential address, or by handing it over in person.

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