Vilen Gabrielian’s article, “On the Regulation of the State of Emergency and Additional Provisions of the Law on Martial Law,” was recently discussed by the RA National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security for the second time on January 11. The proposed draft law aims to regulate the organization of the state of emergency and the mobilization of the army in order to protect the rights of citizens and enhance defense capability.

The author of the project mentioned that during the discussions, the government’s partners in the working group provided suggestions that were mostly accepted, and further amendments were made to address certain requirements.

The Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Armen Khachatryan, stressed the importance of implementing martial law to properly organize the legislative procedure and make necessary changes. He proposed sending the draft to the appropriate committee for further consideration.

In recognition of the topic’s significance, the discussion also included the 37th article of the Law, which proposed modifications to the regulation of the use of firearms by individuals with firearms licenses for self-defense against illegal firearm threats.

Deputy Prime Minister, Arpine Hovhannisyan, highlighted the practical and object-oriented suggestions put forth by Arsen Ayvazyan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Cynological Service, regarding the effective utilization of service dogs. Hovhannisyan emphasized the need to make certain changes based on three foundational principles: individual rights, state functioning, and regional regulations.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff emphasized the importance of maintaining current regulations regarding service dogs in the provinces, as governed by the Ministry of Emergency Situations. He suggested excluding the mentioned changes and retaining the existing regulations based on practical experience.

The officials’ suggestions have resulted in positive changes relating to the regulations of civil, defense, and martial law, as well as issues concerning replacement and applicability.

The daily session of the National Assembly was met with positive feedback, reflecting the importance and relevance of the discussions.