Fines for Breaching Isolation Requirements Will Be Collected, Other Security Forces to Join Police – Avinyan

The Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Avinyan, addressed the question during a press meeting today regarding whether fines imposed on citizens who violate isolation requirements will be collected in the future.

“If people hope that those amounts will not be collected, I cannot say such a thing. Administrative proceedings will be conducted, and individual decisions will be made in each case. These measures are not arbitrary; we will continue to implement measures that restrict people's movement through all possible means, calls, restrictions, changes in the legal framework, and all mechanisms,” he stated.

Avinyan emphasized that at this stage, it is crucial for all citizens of Armenia to truly understand that their movement, which is not vital and not related to work obligations or critical care needs, should be ceased. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that these proceedings will continue, and supervision will be enhanced, indicating that the number of such proceedings will increase.

When asked where the collected fines would be spent, Avinyan clarified that there is a general principle at work in all types of similar collections: they are recorded in the budget.

Regarding movement restrictions, Avinyan noted that this past Sunday saw a unique indicator concerning people's movement, which has had a positive effect on the spread of the virus. However, he acknowledged that these restrictions cannot last indefinitely.

“We are looking at the examples of countries that have been able to overcome the situation effectively with new solutions. Over the next ten days, tactics may change again, restrictions may tighten, and we need to make our supervision more effective. We will also mobilize forces from other agencies to support the police, as this is indeed a heavy workload,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.