The government is considering introducing a state of emergency in Armenia due to the coronavirus.

Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan reads the decision on declaring a state of emergency in the Republic of Armenia:

– Taking into account the prevalence of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19, hereinafter referred to as infection) in the world and in the Republic of Armenia and the fact that the infection was classified as a pandemic by the Head of the World Health Organization on 13 March, 2020,

– Considering that the epidemic situation in the Republic of Armenia, in particular in the city of Echmiadzin of the Republic of Armenia, as a state of emergency caused by the epidemic, endangers the life and health of the population and may lead to the disruption of the normal living conditions of persons;

– based on the principle of ensuring the safety and health of people in such an emergency, as well as the need for effective organization and implementation of specific conditions and procedures for preventing epidemics, protecting the population against epidemic conditions, protecting the health and improving the health of the population, special conditions for preventing and eliminating the spread of infection, as well as other preventive activities and activities;

– considering that the spread of the infection is substantially contributed or may be conducive to, and impede the prevention, other, including the circumstances of possibility of entering the Republic of Armenia of potentially infected persons from countries with high rates of infected population, free movement of persons in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, participation in public events, failure to take appropriate preventive measures and not undergoing appropriate medical examination if symptoms are present;

– considering that Article 120 of the Constitution authorizes the Government to declare a state of emergency in the event of imminent danger and that the spread of the infection threatens the life and health of the masses, and such emergency may pose a direct threat to the constitutional order, endangering the constitutional order, the constituent of the social state set forth in Article 1 of the Constitution, and taking into account the constitutional status of the human being as the highest value as set forth in Article 3 of the Constitution, which obliges the State to take measures to protect the life and health of persons;

– considering that in the context of the spread of the infection and the increase in the number of persons infected with it, the implementation of appropriate preventive work and measures and the protection of the life and health of persons as a result thereof cannot be guaranteed without limiting the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, in particular: personal liberty (Article 27), right to freedom of movement (Article 40), freedom of assembly (Article 44), right of ownership (Article 60), and other rights and freedoms restricted by the Constitution during a state of emergency to temporarily suspend or impose additional restrictions as required by law and in the manner prescribed by law;

– and being guided by Article 76 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, Article 120, Part 1, and Articles 1, 3 and 4 of the Law on the State of Emergency, supplement Article 8

The Government of the Republic of Armenia decides:

1. To declare State of Emergency in the whole territory of the Republic of Armenia from 16 March, 2020, from 17:00 p.m. till 16 April, 2020, 09:00 am, including.
2. To establish a commandant’s office (hereinafter referred to as the Commandant’s office) for the purpose of unified command and control of forces and means ensuring a legitimate state of emergency. Appoint Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan Commandant (hereinafter referred to as Commandant) as head of the Commandant’s Office.
3. The staff of the Commandant’s office includes the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministers of Emergency, Health, Finance, Economy, Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, the Chief of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, the Director of the National Security Service, the Head of the Inspection Bodies’ Coordination Bureau of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Health and Labor Inspectorate, and Food Safety Inspectorate.. The individual staff of the Commandant’s office is approved by the Commandant.
4. The office of the Prime Minister and the office of the Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan ensure the operation of the Commandant’s Office.
5. Representatives of state and autonomous bodies, organizations, the Prime Minister’s staff, and heads of bodies subordinated to the Ministry, governors of the Republic of Armenia, and heads of communities may participate in the activities of the Commandant’s Office at the invitation of the Commandant.
6. The instructions of the Commandant are mandatory for the staff of the Commandant’s Office, the heads and representatives of the public administration bodies, as well as the police, national security leaders and representatives which ensure the rule of law.
7. Establish emergency measures and temporary restrictions on rights and freedoms, the scope and the means of enforcing the legal regime of emergency in accordance with Annex N1.
8. Provide that emergency measures and temporary limitations on rights and freedoms, taking into account the principle of proportionality, apply throughout the territory of the Republic of Armenia or within the boundaries designated by the court. For the purpose of implementing emergency measures and enforcing temporary restrictions on rights and freedoms, the forces and means of the police, state authorized bodies of national security, providing the legal state of emergency may be involved on the command of the Commandant.
9. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication.”