In an interview published 8 February 2000, Colonel General Vladislav Putilin, commander of the main organization and mobilization directorate of the Russian General Staff stated that "nobody will ever send reservists to Chechnya or to any other hot spot, because it is against the law. Field training is not military service, after all. It is organized for different purposes" (Nezavisimaya Gazeta 8 Feb. 2000). Asked how long field training for reservists would take, Putilin said that depending on the branch of the armed forces, it could take from ten to 60 days (ibid.).

On 28 and 29 February 2000 a representative of the Moscow Helsinki Group stated that reservists are usually recalled for two months' training, and that she had no knowledge of reservists being sent to Chechnya.

Regarding deferments from military service for students, a 21 October 1999 AFP report stated that Russia's Constitutional Court had ruled that students in private institutions of higher education (those that do not have government accreditation) are not entitled to a deferment of their military service. In 1998 81,063 students were enrolled in 334 private institutions of higher education, whereas 831,800 were enrolled in 580 public institutions of higher education (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 21 October 1999. "Conscription: pas de sursis pour les étudiants des Ecoles privées." (NEXIS)

Moscow Helsinki Group. 29 February 2000. Correspondence.

_____. 28 February 2000. Telephone interview.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta. 8 February 2000. Vladimir Georgiyev. "An Interview with Colonel General Vladislav Putilin, Commander of the Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff." (Agency WPS 11 Feb. 2000/NEXIS)