Cameras in Buses and Microbuses: Police Proposal

The newspaper "Hraparak" reports that under the pretext of supposedly preventing and quickly uncovering crimes, the local police in Armenia intend to monitor ordinary citizens and track their movements.

The police have presented a draft law for public discussion requiring the installation of cameras in the passenger compartments of buses and microbuses that carry passengers regularly. The law stipulates the use of surveillance systems with the capability to record video and audio during dark hours and to retain this footage for at least 10 days. The installation of surveillance systems must be executed in such a way that they can completely monitor the passenger area and the front section of the bus or microbus.

These cameras are to be monitored by the "Police's Electronic Surveillance Systems Management Center" on a 24-hour basis. The costs for these cameras will be covered by the passenger transport companies.

Before this law comes into effect, legal entities that receive licenses are required to comply with the demands of ensuring that buses or microbuses are equipped with surveillance systems within one year after the law's enactment.

However, this is not all; all entities with "parking facilities," whether they are shops, casinos, hair salons, or others, are also obligated to provide the Armenian police access to their electronic systems in real-time and allow them to utilize archival recordings.

For more details, refer to today's edition of the newspaper.