Draft to Establish Police Guard in Armenia Approved

The Armenian government has approved a draft to create a police guard.

The draft law on the 'Police Guard' defines the status, structure, tasks, and functions of the police guard, as well as the rights and duties of its personnel, including the conditions and basis for the use of force. It also outlines the specifics of training and retraining for police guard members.

'The police guard will operate solely under civilian governance and parliamentary oversight,' the justification for the decision notes.

The police guard will be a structural unit of the Armenian police, complete with its corresponding subdivisions. It will have direct subordinate territorial divisions in at least three regions of Armenia (Lori, Shirak, Syunik), which will also serve adjacent regions when necessary, as well as subdivisions for the protection of state security and individuals involved in criminal proceedings (in Yerevan and the regions).