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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 01:16

Estonian government approves of new weapons law

BC, Tallinn, 26.09.2014.Print version
The Estonian government approved on Thursday of amendments to the weapons law, which among other things stipulate that a person does not have to keep a registered weapon at home and that persons who have a criminal record can own a weapon, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur said at the government's press conference that the bill is designed to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.

 

After the law amendments come into force, a person does not have to keep the weapon at home but can also do it somewhere else, for example at work, if it is coordinated with the police.

 

The law regulates better the conditions for owning a weapon that cannot be fired, which concerns weapons collectors or people who have found or inherited a weapon. So far, to keep the weapon, one needed to apply for a weapons permit. Now such a weapon can be made unfit for shooting at the police's decision and kept without weapons permission.

 

The law also now takes into account a ruling of the Supreme Court, according to which people should not be automatically refused a weapons permit or a weapons acquisition permit on the grounds of having a criminal record. Weapons permit or acquisition permit can be issued to a person with criminal record, except for serious offenses listed in the law, if the police decides so.

 

The bill also raises state dues for issuing the permits.

 

At the beginning of 2014, Estonia had 27,700 registered weapons owners, 62,500 weapons in civilian ownership had been registered.






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