Police Will Have Access to Business Surveillance Cameras: Bill Passed

The National Assembly has passed on first reading an amendment to the Law on Police, which will grant law enforcement agencies 24/7 access to the surveillance systems of several businesses.

The bill proposes a requirement for a range of organizations and businesses to install surveillance systems to monitor the entrances and all sides of their buildings from the outside. Additionally, it suggests that surveillance systems be installed in ambulances and the passenger compartments of buses and microbuses that provide transportation services.

It is anticipated that the police will have the right to request and obtain recordings from these surveillance systems and will have access to them in real-time 24/7 if necessary.

Gagik Manukyan, a member of the Armenia faction in the National Assembly, opposed the bill, noting that the Ministry of Justice's Data Protection Agency had issued a negative opinion. He stated, “After this law is passed, our compatriots will be under the control of the police 24 hours a day, in real-time, whether they enter a pawn shop, store, pharmacy, etc.”