HRW has called on Armenian authorities to withdraw or suspend the bill until it aligns with international human rights standards
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised alarms about a proposed surveillance bill in Armenia, warning it could undermine privacy rights and civil liberties. The bill, approved by the Armenian government, mandates widespread surveillance across Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, and has advanced to its final parliamentary review, expected by year’s end. HRW emphasized that the presence of constant video surveillance, especially with AI analytics, risks creating a chilling effect on fundamental freedoms, including rights to assembly, association, and expression.
HRW’s Associate Director for Europe and Central Asia, Giorgi Gogia, underscored the impact of indiscriminate surveillance, saying, “Widespread, indiscriminate video surveillance would inevitably lead to unjustified intrusions on privacy and cannot be defended as a measure necessary to improve public security in a democracy. Mass surveillance in public spaces would have a chilling effect on fundamental civil and political rights.”
HRW has called on Armenian authorities to withdraw or suspend the bill until it aligns with international human rights standards. The organisation also recommended consulting the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe. Armenia, as a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the European Convention on Human Rights, is obligated to ensure that any infringement on privacy meets the standards of legality, necessity, and proportionality.
The proposed bill would require public and private entities, including banks and retail businesses, to install high-resolution, colour CCTV cameras capable of recording around the clock. These surveillance systems must provide 24-hour live access to police and include night vision capabilities to capture footage up to 30 meters. Additionally, recorded video data would need to be stored for at least 15 days, and cameras must cover all entrances and sides of buildings.
This legislative push aims to amend nine existing laws, with the stated goal of enhancing public safety in Armenia. However, the government’s approach has sparked criticism from Armenia’s Data Protection Agency, which expressed concern that the bill allows “unlimited and continuous processing of personal data,” creating what it described as a “disproportionate interference” with citizens’ privacy.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also weighed in, cautioning against the expansive nature of the proposed surveillance measures. The OHCHR recommended that Armenia narrow the scope of its video surveillance efforts to target specific, credible threats to public safety.
Since its approval by the government in April 2024, the surveillance bill has passed its initial review in parliament and is nearing its final vote. If enacted, it will lead to comprehensive surveillance in public spaces across Yerevan, making it one of the most extensive video monitoring systems in the region.