Criminalizing the Provision of False Information: 'Hraparak'

Aram Vardevanyan, a member of the "Hayastan" alliance, has proposed to criminalize the provision of false or misleading information to the investigative committees of the National Assembly. The proposal stipulates that for providing false information to these committees, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a term of 5 to 7 years. In cases involving the spheres of defense and security, the punishment could extend to 8 to 12 years of imprisonment for similar offenses.

This initiative follows the 44-day war that took place from September 27 to November 9, 2020, and aims to address the comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the conflict. It should be noted that, as a result of the war, thousands of courageous soldiers from the Armenian nation have been martyred. However, there exists substantial public doubt that the war could have been avoided or ended earlier, potentially saving the lives of soldiers killed by the enemy and preventing such a situation.

According to the rationale for the proposal, any unverifiable, incomplete, or, especially, false information shared in this context poses an extremely high level of public danger, which justifies such a stern approach in criminal policy.

Should this proposal be adopted, the amendment will come into force on the 12th day following its official publication.