Mother of Soldier Disabled in 44-Day War Fined: Why the Privilege Did Not Apply

The fine imposed on the mother of Eric Gasparyan, a participant of the 44-day war who sustained first-degree disability as a result of the conflict, has drawn attention, as highlighted by Artem Karapetyan, spokesperson for the Yerevan Mayor.

Karapetyan explained that the privilege of free public transportation for persons with disabilities is provided specifically to the affected individuals and does not extend to their companions or family members under current regulations.

“In this case, the fine was applied because the right to privileged transportation was utilized by not the beneficiary but a person accompanying them, which constitutes an administrative violation,” noted Karapetyan. He added that the fine has already been paid.

The municipality is also discussing a project that would allow assistants or companions of persons with disabilities, and in certain cases, family members, to obtain privileges or free transportation options on public transport.

Recently, the incident involving Lusiné Gasparyan, the mother of disabled soldier Eric Gasparyan, was highlighted on social media when she was fined 15,000 drams on Yerevan's public transport. Earlier, the city hall and local administration had provided her with a transportation card for free travel to visit the “Soldier's Home” to see her son.

Following the incident, there have been calls to revoke the administrative act regarding the fine.