Harassment of Neighbors Limited to Once a Month, Says Gabrielyan

Harassment of neighbors will only be possible once a month. This was announced from the podium of the National Assembly by Sisak Gabrielyan, a member of the "My Step" faction, while presenting amendments to the draft law introduced by him and Armen Pambukhchyan on changes and additions to the law regarding administrative procedures for violations recorded by video or photo devices.

“I apologize for this term, but we have tried to eliminate that 'harassment' institution as much as possible,” he said, recalling that during the first reading discussions of the draft law, concerns were raised that a malicious neighbor could misuse the law and report violations daily.

To limit this possibility, the authors of the law have imposed restrictions on the reports submitted regarding the same vehicle by the same person. The final number of limitations will be determined by the government, but according to Sisak Gabrielyan, it is likely to be set at once a month.

However, even after the amendments, the draft law was not unanimously accepted by the opposition members. “Enlightened Armenia” faction member Gevorg Gorgisyan stated that restrictions are not always appropriate. “For instance, if someone is maliciously violating every day, and the neighbor cannot photograph and submit evidence every day, but needs to, we should discuss and say, let’s allow daily submissions,” said Gorgisyan.

Arman Abovyan, a member of the "Prosperous Armenia" faction, also pointed out that the necessary conditions for road traffic are not ensured in Yerevan, and it is impossible to drive a car in the capital without committing violations. “The 840 cameras will theoretically increase, say, by 300 thousand, and the burden of fines will fall on the citizens,” he said.

Intense discussions forced BHK MP Sergey Bagratyan to admit that he committed a violation on his way to work yesterday. “I circled around the National Assembly four times trying to find a parking spot. A spot finally opened up, and I parked quickly. In my hurry, I must have crossed a line. But when taking a picture, the four laps don’t show, and one might say, hey, I’m late for work, and I’ve been driving around for a place,” said Bagratyan.

According to him, the law will create additional tension in society. Furthermore, citizens have been actively recording violations and sending them to law enforcement even without the new law since the revolution.

It should be noted that the discussed draft will be up for final voting in the National Assembly tomorrow. The new law plans to create an electronic platform where citizens can submit the traffic violations they have recorded. Initially, the program will operate only in Yerevan and on inter-state roads.