Restrictions on Entertainment Venues Imposed by Law in Yerevan

According to the law on trade and services, the operations of certain entertainment and leisure establishments have been restricted starting September 26. These establishments, which have proliferated like mushrooms on the ground floors of residential buildings in the capital, have become a real headache for the city’s residents over the decades.

“We have studied the complaints of residents over many years and analyzed the basis of these complaints. It has become clear that entertainment venues often disrupt the peace of residents during nighttime due to their location beneath residential buildings and can frequently lead to criminal situations. The need to establish provisions regarding restricted venues had long matured, and in September 2018, the National Assembly adopted a law concerning restricted establishments,” stated Hovik Safaryan, head of the trade and services department of the Yerevan City Hall.

Nightclubs, karaoke bars, dance clubs, and bathhouses are primarily the establishments included in the list of venues subject to restrictions. “Entertainment venues located under or in the vicinity of residential buildings, as well as those in state or local government administrative buildings, medical, educational, and cultural heritage institutions are legally prohibited from operating in those premises,” noted Safaryan.

The activities of such establishments after midnight have become a cause of numerous violations. According to the Armenian police, during the first nine months of this year, 563 violations were recorded. “There are various instances; the quantity, of course, is significant, leading to dissatisfaction among the populace. There are also violations related to noise regulations, as well as criminal offenses such as hooliganism and bodily injuries, including serious bodily harm. In other words, operators in these areas create conditions that give rise to violations and crimes,” said Edgar Petrosyan, the deputy head of the Yerevan police department.

“We visited nighttime venues ourselves and confirmed that these establishments operate in gross violation of the law, frequently working as private entities without state registration and in blatant violation of tax legislation,” added the head of the trade and services department.

Along with the tightening of the law, operators are being offered the opportunity to change their type of activity in those venues to ensure it does not violate coexistence regulations and is not contrary to the law. Additionally, the Yerevan City Hall's trade and services department will present a draft decision for city council discussion. “We have also considered the interests of operators so that they are not deprived of their right to operate such businesses. They will be given the chance to conduct their activities at a certain distance. Specifically, we are preparing a draft decision for the council, proposing to relocate establishments 100 meters away,” said Hovik Safaryan.

Thanks to persistent enforcement and stricter laws, some establishments have already changed their location or ceased operations.