If the Police Officer Is Not Sane, Why Should a Citizen Be Held Accountable for an Act They Did Not Commit? Arpine Sargsyan

In 2024, there have been more than double the number of administrative acts issued in Armenia for failing to wear seatbelts compared to 2023. This was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, Arpine Sargsyan, in the National Assembly.

She stated that in 2023, 84,328 administrative acts were issued for this violation, while in 2024, the number rose to 188,453.

“We have acts that are annulled by the courts, even though the person was not wearing a seatbelt. Sometimes we are told, ‘You know, if there’s a practice for annulment, why do you send it to the court?’ But the principle is that this must be recorded. Due to the judges' workload, we cannot ignore violations,” said Arpine Sargsyan.

According to her, there is also an issue with the approach that the officer's word alone is not sufficient to justify the record. “We have taken this into account, and now the patrol service's devices will be replaced with a mobile system that includes six cameras which will capture all violations from 360 degrees, whether it be phone use, smoking, or seatbelt offenses. But the approach is wrong. It turns out that we do not trust the word of the police officer. If the officer is not sane, then why should a citizen be attributed an act they did not commit?” the Minister of Internal Affairs expressed perplexedly.