Video: 'Punish Harshly' - Andranik Kocharyan

During a budgetary discussion, Andranik Kocharyan, the Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, addressed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan, stating, 'Some officials have restored the tint of their side windows and have not been punished. I would like the police to create equal conditions for everyone. Punish harshly.'

High-ranking officials and their accompanying vehicles do not have the privilege to drive with tinted windows. In Armenia, vehicles belonging to diplomatic and consular representations are allowed to operate with tinted windows. This information was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.

'According to one of the sub-clauses of the same regulation, the enforcement of the technical regulation does not apply to diplomatic and consular representations, international (interstate) organizations (which enjoy exemptions and immunities in accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of international law), as well as to vehicles owned by staff of these representations (organizations) and their family members,' the statement elaborated.

At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has informed that high-ranking officials of the Republic of Armenia and their accompanying vehicles do not have such privileges.

It is noteworthy that the decision to impose fines for tinted windows exceeding the established limit came into effect on June 1, 2023. Although the use of tinted windows had been prohibited by Armenian legislation much earlier, fines were not enforced because the police were not equipped with devices to measure the degree of tinting.

The permissible degree of light transmission for windows has been set based on the EAEU standard, which requires that the light transmission for the windshield of vehicles should be no less than 75 percent, and for front side windows, no less than 70 percent.