Up to 600,000 Dram Fine for State Secret Leakage: Discussion in the National Assembly

The National Security Service of Armenia proposes to tighten the responsibilities related to the preservation of information containing state secrets, by introducing fines ranging from 50,000 to 600,000 drams, depending on the type of violation.

During a session of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Nelly Manandyan, head of the legal department of the NSS, presented the draft on amendments to the Administrative Offenses Code. “Its adoption is due to the need to ensure the confidentiality regime in state bodies, local government authorities, organizations, and legal entities, prevent possible violations, and exclude the conditions for the leakage of confidential data,” Manandyan said, adding that private companies conducting secret work are obliged to properly inform the NSS when changing the location of their operations.

The NSS official emphasized that the main violations related to the encryption, preservation, declassification, destruction, and transmission of confidential information via computer have been summarized. Proportional sanctions are provided for these violations.

According to the draft, the NSS will examine the supplemental violations. An additional amendment is also proposed to clarify the scope of administrative liability for officials, including the area of state security assurance.

Manandyan is confident that with the adoption of the draft, the NSS will more effectively carry out its inter-agency oversight function to ensure the confidentiality regime.

Member of the Civil Contract faction, Hayk Sargsyan, inquired about the problems faced by the state that necessitated the need for stricter laws. “I would not specify any problems as such, although there are no global issues. The question is that there is a legislative gap. According to the current law, if an NSS representative observes a violation in the private sector or in any public authority regarding the area of confidentiality assurance within the framework of inter-agency oversight, we are limited to just a verbal warning. There is no enforcement measure that would strengthen the fact of preventing the issue from recurring,” Manandyan responded, noting that they also exercise oversight over private organizations that, by the nature of their work, receive permission to conduct secret work.

The official believes that without changes to the law, favorable conditions for the leakage of confidentiality will arise.