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Armenian opposition MP Gegham Manukyan on Thursday denounced a government-drafted bill that would allow the National Security Service (NSS) or other authorized agency to destroy confidential archival documents.

The applicable law only authorizes the law enforcement agency to declassify archival papers, whereas the new measure would make it possible to destroy them without declassification under various legal acts.

Speaking at the parliamentary debates on amendments to the law on national security bodies on Thursday, Manukyan, who represents the opposition Hayastan bloc, claimed the government may allow “anyone” to destroy confidential documents kept in the NSS archive, preventing their public disclosure.

“The NSS or others are authorized to destroy a huge number of archival documents at a special session at the stroke of a pen,” the MP said, urging civil society to condemn the bill.