YEREVAN -- Armenian police chief Valeri Osipian has been fired, two days after the resignation of the National Security Service (NSS) head.
President Armen Sarkissian relieved Osipian of his duties in a decree requested by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Pashinian did not immediately explain the move.
In a statement, Osipian said he "will talk about the reasons for my departure later," and insisted that he had always been guided by the police "officer’s honor and dignity."
The government's official website later announced his appointment as chief adviser to Pashinian. It didn’t provide further details.
While announcing his resignation on September 16, NSS Director Artur Vanetsian criticized Pashinian's leadership style, which he said ran counter to "an officer's honor."
Pashinian has yet to name successors to Osipian and Vanetsian.
Osipian was appointed to the helm of the national police service in May 2018, shortly after Pashinian came to power following peaceful protests that he spearheaded.
He previously served as deputy head of Yerevan's police department responsible for public order and crowd control, and personally monitored many anti-government rallies staged in the Armenian capital during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule.
Armenia's Police Chief Dismissed, Appointed Adviser To Pashinian
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Kremlin Silent About Evidence That Moscow Attack Suspects Were Abused
2Then-And-Now Images Suggest Severe Abuse Of Moscow Terror Suspects
3Russia Says 4 Foreign Suspects Detained As Death Toll From Concert Attack Reaches 133
4Exclusive: Who Are The Suspects In The Moscow Concert Attack? Here's What Their Relatives Say.
5Interview: Putin, The Terror Attack, And The Threat Whose Name He 'Dare Not Speak'
6The Russian Military Base In Armenia At The Eye Of A Geopolitical Storm
7Ukraine Says It Destroyed 2 Russian Ships, Comms Center
8Anti-Migrant Sentiment Rises In Russia As 4 Tajiks Charged In Moscow Attack
9Suspects In Russian Concert Attack Sent To Pretrial Detention
10An Unlikely Armenian-Azerbaijani Love Story Ends In Russian Terror Attack
Subscribe