Severity of Penalties for Violations of Monument Preservation Rules to Increase

The National Assembly's Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports has approved a legislative initiative presented by opposition MP Lilit Galstyan, aimed at tightening the penalties for violations of preservation rules for historical and cultural monuments.

Galstyan noted in the committee that the proposed amendments and changes to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Armenia address a critical issue: "Unfortunately, the current situation regarding the preservation, use, and protection of historical and cultural monuments is far from satisfactory. The lack of effective monitoring mechanisms contributes to this problem," she stated.

She proposed to replace the current administrative fine for violations of the preservation or use of historical and cultural monuments—set at 50-80 times the minimum wage—with a penalty of 100-150 times the minimum wage. For public officials, the fine would be set at 300-350 times the minimum wage. Furthermore, repeated violations within six months would incur a penalty of 200 times the minimum wage for citizens and 400 times for officials.

"This is a provision that significantly tightens public and social responsibility. It will have a preventive significance," urged Galstyan. She believes that while this measure will not completely resolve the issues related to protection, it is an important step in the field of safeguarding nature, history, and cultural monuments.