Irates: What is Arthur Vanetsyan Doing in Ijevan?

Irates newspaper writes: "It is no secret that after the change of power, the National Security Service (NSS) has started to engage in everything, while separate subdivisions could excellently perform these functions, from fighting against fake accounts to hunting down gas station operators who fail to provide receipts.

Yesterday, it was reported that NSS head Arthur Vanetsyan went to Ijevan. It turned out that he was attending a meeting at the Tavush regional administration with Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanyan, community leaders, and representatives of the law enforcement system.

The NSS head announced there: 'It is unacceptable for any situation to arise where force is used against representatives of the police and the law enforcement bodies, and they do not comply with the legal demands of the law enforcement officers. Secondly, the current situation is indeed alarming and this is the first such case since May 2018. Everything must be done to both protect the interests of our citizens and to ensure the unreserved implementation of the law. That is the main purpose of my visit.'

In reality, Vanetsyan's visit signifies that there must be a national security threat in these events, and if that is not the case, we are dealing with mere criminal offenses for which there is a police force. The NSS head's participation in all this indicates that there is no oversight in the country, and issues are being regulated solely through the NSS.

What happens if citizens block the streets in another region right now and declare that they must fish in Lake Sevan because they have no other source of income, and ultimately there is a confrontation with the police? Will Arthur Vanetsyan also hold a consultation in that region?

Or perhaps the People's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan should meet with 'our' police officers and his voters in such cases, explain the situation, and hold consultations with mayors. After all, that is the prime minister's job. Regional visits should not be limited to only business forums and tasting co-organized goods. There are deeply rooted problems that have existed for years; why is the NSS head being dispatched to places where the prime minister should actually be?"

For more details, see today’s issue of the newspaper.