235 Weapons Granted to Individuals Were Seized

The Community Police Department has seized weapons granted to 235 individuals for further evaluation. These individuals failed to provide medical documents confirming the absence of health conditions that would hinder weapon possession, as well as certificates verifying their knowledge of safety rules related to firearms.

This was reported by the news outlet "Hetq." On October 5, 2022, the National Assembly adopted a new law on "Regulation of Firearm Circulation." Transitional provisions state that those previously awarded firearms must present the mentioned medical documents and a certificate of knowledge of safety rules within two years of the law coming into force, or the police will seize the awarded firearms, render them inoperable, and return them to their owners.

Former Deputy Chief of Police and now attorney Hovhannes Kocharyan also had his awarded "Makarov" pistol confiscated. In an interview with "Hetq," Kocharyan stated that he had never used that weapon but it held significant importance for him. He noted that he had worked in the police system for many years and that the awarded firearm was a memory from his time there.

"I tried to demonstrate good faith and fulfill the obligations stipulated by law. I must say that regulations like this, in my opinion, are unconstitutional, yet I wanted to keep that weapon as a memento. It turned out that passing a health examination was a serious issue. You must have a command issued in Armed, then go to provide a sample for analysis, and undergo examination. This means that it is not sufficient to simply show that you are not on a narcological register; additional procedures must be undertaken, the process of which is completely uncertain. The only thing that was clear was passing the examination for weapon use, which I have completed,” says Hovhannes Kocharyan.

The media has contacted several other individuals and former officials who possess awarded firearms, but they have refused to comment.

For more details, visit the original source website.