Awarded Weapons May Pose Public Danger: Minister of Internal Affairs

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, stated that there are significant issues regarding the award of weapons through the recognition institute, as legislative regulations have varied over time. For instance, the processes for awarding pistols have not been uniformly regulated.

“We observe that in many cases, individuals who previously had no legal processes related to weapons currently possess combat pistols or other firearms that may pose a public danger. It is crucial for the state to understand what the standards are for awarding weapons and delivering them to the recipients,” she noted.

According to her, the standards must be reliable so that the state can ascertain that anyone being awarded a weapon meets the criteria necessary to be considered reliable and safe in their interactions with the state. “In other words, if the state is awarding weapons in this format, it must be certain that the recipient is a suitable individual,” she stated.

The minister also reported that there have been numerous alerts regarding individuals who possess awarded weapons but have been noted for using drugs or have displayed problematic behavior in other instances. “It is the state's responsibility to set standards, filter the list of individuals, and allow awarded weapons only to those who meet the standards. Those who do not meet the standards should not be allowed to keep the weapons,” she added, noting that a legislative initiative will be proposed in this regard in the near future.