Human Rights Watch (HRW) today described the Armenian government’s bill for the mandatory installation of video surveillance systems with 24-hour police access throughout Yerevan, as unjustified and that it interferes with privacy and other rights.

“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,” said Giorgi Gogia, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Mass surveillance in public spaces would have a chilling effect on fundamental civil and political rights.”  

The bill, which passed its first parliamentary review in June 2024, requires private entities in Yerevan to install cameras and provide police with live feed and access to recordings on demand.

Armenian officials have also suggested they will use artificial intelligence (AI) video analytics to monitor the recordings.

HRW, in a statement, says Armenian officials should scrap the bill, or at minimum, delay consideration of it until it's amended to comply with international human rights standards.

“They should also consider requesting the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters, to assess the bill,” HRW writes.

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