Citizens of Armenia to Face Criminal Liability for Leaving Marks on Others' Personal Belongings: Lawyer

Citizens of Armenia will face criminal liability for 'causing discomfort to others,' according to lawyer Vahagn Grigoryan, who made the announcement on his Facebook page.

He specifically noted: 'Starting from July 1, 2024, citizens of Armenia will be criminally liable for causing discomfort to others. How? The Criminal Code has been supplemented with a new offense called 'Stalking.' Stalking is considered, for example, following someone, engaging in 'undesired' contact with another person or attempting to do so, leaving marks on someone else's personal belongings (such as pouring water), or creating a 'profile' on social media using someone else's information.'

For an act to be classified as a crime, it must occur repeatedly and must cause 'fear or anxiety' to the 'victim,' compel the 'victim' to significantly alter their lifestyle, or create a necessity for the 'victim' to change their way of life. Naturally, all of this is highly evaluative and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by law enforcement agencies and the judicial system.

At first glance, one might think that the purpose of the new offense is to protect women (or men) from those who cause 'discomfort.' However, there are aggravating factors if the act was committed in connection with the 'victim's' state, political, service-related, or social activities.'