In 2020, the legislative body clearly recorded the negative impact of the criminal subculture on public safety and the observance of mandatory rules of behavior set by the state with the amendments and addenda made to the RA Criminal Code.
The legislative body also recorded that a comprehensive approach should be taken against the spread of the criminal subculture group and the rules of conduct defined and recognized by it, that is, steps should be taken both at the practical and legislative levels. Arthur Hovhannisyan said this while presenting the draft law on Making Addenda to the Law on Audiovisual Media for debate in the first reading at the NA sitting on February 6.
The authors of the initiative are the NA deputies of the Civil Contract Faction Alen Simonyan and Arthur Hovhannisyan.
The authors considered it particularly important to prevent and ban films and audio-visual programmes containing the propaganda of the criminal subculture, as far as legislation and technologies allow at this time.
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“They contain vulgarity and blasphemy, deny the universal norms of morality and promote an immoral lifestyle, belittle the role of education and upbringing, contribute to the spread of morals, manners, and speech of the criminal subculture in the society, romanticize criminal figures and lifestyle,” the rapporteur said.
It is proposed to stipulate in the law that films and audio-visual programmes containing the propaganda of the criminal subculture can be broadcast at night between 12 am and 6 am. “With this, we want to reduce the influence of the criminal subculture on public relations, especially on the upbringing of minors,” Arthur Hovhannisyan stressed.
The MPs mainly highlighted the legislative initiative aimed at the regulation of the field, and inquired how such films and audio-visual programmes will be separated. Arthur Hovhannisyan explained that the standards of such programmes and films are set by the regulatory state body. In this context, the deputies presented some proposals.
Hasmik Hakobyan presented the endorsement of the NA Head Committee. According to her, the issue was debated in detail in the Committee, proposals were presented, as a result of which the draft was revised. Hasmik Hakobyan urged her colleagues to vote for the draft.
The positive opinion of the Government regarding the draft was presented by the RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Avet Poghosyan. “Article 9.3 of the Law on Audiovisual Media gives the opportunity to the Commission on Television and Radio to set criteria that will limit the relation of minors to the content containing propaganda of the criminal subculture being broadcast,” Avet Poghosyan said.
The co-author of the draft, the NA President Alen Simonyan gave a speech. He touched upon some observations of his colleagues, gave clarifications. “Yes, the bill does not and cannot solve all the problems, but we must take a step. Recently, a film caught my eye on the Internet. In the first five minutes, such vocabulary and manners were preached that I don’t even want to quote as an example,” he said. Referring to his colleagues’ observations, Alen Simonyan noted that there are some good films in the history of films, in which one of the most famous and beloved actors, Al Pacino, did not receive an Oscar award for spreading such morals. “Because it is not possible to encourage the person who has drugs in front of him, because it is a bad example,” the NA President specifically noted.
During the exchange of ideas, the deputies highlighted the draft and presented some remarks and proposals.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia