Armenian president approves legislative changes implying online control over coronavirus-infected people
01.04.2020,
10:40
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has signed the amendments to the law on the legal regime of emergency and the law on electronic communication, adopted by the parliament Tuesday night, and made a statement in connection with the threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic to humanity.
YEREVAN, April 1. /ARKA/. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has signed the amendments to the law on the legal regime of emergency and the law on electronic communication, adopted by the parliament Tuesday night, and made a statement in connection with the threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic to humanity.
According to the statement released by his press service, although the amendments imply significant restrictions on human rights, the president signed them, given that these restrictions should be applied by the government as exceptional measures and exclusively during a state of emergency.
"Therefore, the main precondition for the application of the law and the only goal should be saving lives and preserving public health," the president said in his statement.
He noted that restrictions on the protection of personal data, privacy and family life, freedom of communication of privacy rights should be applied by competent authorities only to ensure the goals mentioned above and with all responsibility.
Pandemic is Threat to Humanity
"Mankind has been challenged in the form of a pandemic, and each state is trying to implement all possible and necessary measures to prevent an epidemic in a short time and save numerous human lives," Sarkissin said in his statement.
The president said that in a state of emergency, temporary restrictions on fundamental freedoms and human rights are inevitable. This comes both from the public interest and the highest human right of everyone – preservation of life and health.
The government, he said, has taken the necessary measures and is responsible for their competent implementation, relying on the sanity of each of us.
“In this difficult situation, the consolidation of all of us and the assistance to the competent authorities are important. The government, for its part, is obliged to show exceptional consistency in order to implement the envisaged restrictions without affecting human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution,” the president said.
The Essence of Legislative Changes
The National Assembly of Armenia last night adopted in the second and final reading a package of amendments to the law on the legal regime of emergency and the law on electronic communications, which imply online monitoring of the contacts of citizens infected with coronavirus.
The amendments specify that, during the state of emergency, the relevant authorities (singled out by the government) gain access to the collection of data from the public electronic network, that is, the location of citizens, their movements, their Internet connections, contacts and related phone numbers, call forwarding, but not call content, as well as access to medical secrets - for infection, checks, and survey data. At the same time, it is stipulated that after the state of emergency is lifted, all data must be destroyed no later than in one month.
For the use of the data obtained this way for other purposes, criminal liability is implied in Articles 144, 145, 146 of the Criminal Code (illegal collection of personal data, publication of personal data, dissemination of medical secrets and publication of personal correspondence).
The use of software and electronic means of communication will make it possible, when declaring an emergency, to check data on the state of health of citizens, to make demands on isolation and self-isolation through electronic applications and in to exercise certain control this way.
If a citizen refuses to install the application, or does not have a smartphone, then other isolation measures will be provided in another place or apartment, and if there is no smartphone, then the possibility of its issuance by the state is not excluded.
Coronavirus Statistics and Emergency Regime
As of March 31, 532 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Armenia. According to the official report, 31 people were cured, three patients died.
The Armenian government has declared a state of emergency in the country from March 16 to April 14 in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.
By the decision of the commandant, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, from 23:59 on March 24 to 23:59 on March 31, restrictions on the movement of citizens and economic activity were tightened. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday that the tightened regime will be extended for at least another 10 days. - 0--
According to the statement released by his press service, although the amendments imply significant restrictions on human rights, the president signed them, given that these restrictions should be applied by the government as exceptional measures and exclusively during a state of emergency.
"Therefore, the main precondition for the application of the law and the only goal should be saving lives and preserving public health," the president said in his statement.
He noted that restrictions on the protection of personal data, privacy and family life, freedom of communication of privacy rights should be applied by competent authorities only to ensure the goals mentioned above and with all responsibility.
Pandemic is Threat to Humanity
"Mankind has been challenged in the form of a pandemic, and each state is trying to implement all possible and necessary measures to prevent an epidemic in a short time and save numerous human lives," Sarkissin said in his statement.
The president said that in a state of emergency, temporary restrictions on fundamental freedoms and human rights are inevitable. This comes both from the public interest and the highest human right of everyone – preservation of life and health.
The government, he said, has taken the necessary measures and is responsible for their competent implementation, relying on the sanity of each of us.
“In this difficult situation, the consolidation of all of us and the assistance to the competent authorities are important. The government, for its part, is obliged to show exceptional consistency in order to implement the envisaged restrictions without affecting human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution,” the president said.
The Essence of Legislative Changes
The National Assembly of Armenia last night adopted in the second and final reading a package of amendments to the law on the legal regime of emergency and the law on electronic communications, which imply online monitoring of the contacts of citizens infected with coronavirus.
The amendments specify that, during the state of emergency, the relevant authorities (singled out by the government) gain access to the collection of data from the public electronic network, that is, the location of citizens, their movements, their Internet connections, contacts and related phone numbers, call forwarding, but not call content, as well as access to medical secrets - for infection, checks, and survey data. At the same time, it is stipulated that after the state of emergency is lifted, all data must be destroyed no later than in one month.
For the use of the data obtained this way for other purposes, criminal liability is implied in Articles 144, 145, 146 of the Criminal Code (illegal collection of personal data, publication of personal data, dissemination of medical secrets and publication of personal correspondence).
The use of software and electronic means of communication will make it possible, when declaring an emergency, to check data on the state of health of citizens, to make demands on isolation and self-isolation through electronic applications and in to exercise certain control this way.
If a citizen refuses to install the application, or does not have a smartphone, then other isolation measures will be provided in another place or apartment, and if there is no smartphone, then the possibility of its issuance by the state is not excluded.
Coronavirus Statistics and Emergency Regime
As of March 31, 532 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Armenia. According to the official report, 31 people were cured, three patients died.
The Armenian government has declared a state of emergency in the country from March 16 to April 14 in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.
By the decision of the commandant, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, from 23:59 on March 24 to 23:59 on March 31, restrictions on the movement of citizens and economic activity were tightened. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday that the tightened regime will be extended for at least another 10 days. - 0--
