Failure to register for conscription subjects citizens to punitive measures: Kuwaiti Army

Kuwaitis born on May 10, 1999 or later are urged to register for conscription within 60 days after they reach the age of 18 in order to avoid penalties, the Kuwait Armed Forces said in a statement yesterday. The registration can be made either at registration centers around Kuwait or online at www.kns.gov.kw, reads the statement which was released to the press by the Kuwaiti Army’s moral guidance and public relations department.

Failure to register within the aforementioned timeframe subjects a person to punitive measures as mentioned in the National Military Service Law. These measures include adding an extra month to the one-year basic service period, adding two extra months in case of failure to respond to calls to complete procedures to join conscription, facing a travel ban as well as an arrest warrant to serve up to three years in jail and pay a KD 5,000 fine for those who are over the legal age of conscription, the statement reads.

Conscription cases and punishments are not subject to statutes of limitations, and are considered crimes of misconduct that disqualify perpetrators from public jobs and other basic rights, the statement warns.

The National Military Service Law provides several guarantees for recruits, including retention of jobs in the public sector and full payment of salaries during the military service, in addition to priority in employment in the public sectors for those with job applications at the Civil Service Commission, the statement notes.