The government is not discussing the possibility of releasing prisoners in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Deputy Minister of Justice, Vahe Danielyan, said that this has not been discussed, but the state of emergency also bans people from visiting prisoners and military bases, which completely protects these people and prevents the spread of the coronavirus.
Vahe Danielyan said that the established limitations for the state of emergency are ready, such as the draft of the punishment for breaking quarantine. It will soon be published. This punishment includes administrative and criminal liability depending on the level of danger presented.
When asked about how the situation is being controlled in the regions, considering how, for example, people are continuing to hold public events such as weddings in the Shirak region, the deputy minister said that several limitations apply to the entire territory of the Republic of Armenia. If the commanding body decides to apply these limitations to all communities in the country, then it will be enforced. If it is necessary for there to be events where 20 or more people will be present, then those people will be provided with a special methodology to prevent any violations from taking place.
When asked about the rules for publishing articles from international sources, such as the WHO and incidents in other countries related to the coronavirus, as a result of the limitations placed on the media, Danielyan said that it is possible to receive information from any resource, but it is forbidden to publish information about the individuals infected, their health condition, and information about people they came into contact with.
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According to Danielyan, it is also forbidden to write articles based on scientific journals, experts and specialists, and the opinions of people responsible for the healthcare system in other countries. Media outlets are only allowed to post articles using official data from Armenia and information presented by state officials.
“In general, if the information does not have to do with the coronavirus but it may cause people to panic, it is not allowed to be published. For example, if people say that they are having issues with the commanding bodies, then this can cause a lot of panic and it doesn’t matter which news source publishes it,” the deputy minister said.
Nelly Babayan
