168 Hours: Massive Cuts at the State Protection Department, Companies Not Renewing Contracts with the Police

“168 Hours” reports that recently, news circulated on social media that the contracts signed with the police for the protection of 7000 objects would expire on November 28 and would not be renewed. This means many police officers could be dismissed and remain unemployed.

According to information circulating on social media, the protection of these objects will be entrusted to certain private companies, one of which is linked to a well-known businessman. The police have assured that “the news circulating on the internet does not reflect reality.” They later informed that structural changes are being discussed within the State Protection Department.

In other words, some processes are taking place. “At the same time, we inform that if due to the reduction of specific positions within the State Protection Department of the Police of Armenia employees are dismissed, they will be given priority to fill available positions in the Police of Armenia. Those who do not wish to be assigned relevant positions in the Police of Armenia will also have the opportunity to be employed by private security companies,” the police stated in their response.

Recently, it became clear that the militarized unit of the State Protection Department (SPC) is being dissolved, whose employees are police officers. According to a source from “168 Hours,” a large-scale reduction is currently taking place in the SPC, and nearly 800 employees were expected to be cut by December 16.

“Now, in order not to dismiss people under Article 113 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Armenia, which is the termination of the employment contract by the employer's initiative, people are being forced to write applications and state that they are moving to other jobs. The illegality is that this article will not provide benefits upon dismissal. All applications have been written, personal files are ready, it remains to stamp on that day. It is not that the termination of the service is illegal; the issue is the illegal dismissal of people. They also do not receive a large salary; some earn 60,000 drams, while others get 80,000 drams. The dismissal benefit will also not be a significant amount. No other jobs have been offered, they will remain unemployed,” noted a source.

The militarized unit of the SPC is financed from off-budget resources. The government discussed the issue of abandoning off-budget funds at its extraordinary meeting on November 19, 2018. According to the Police of Armenia data from 2015, a total of 28 organizations conduct security activities in Armenia, some of which belong to specific businessmen. Now the authorities intend to grant privileges to one or two of these organizations.

Moreover, a member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s security detail, Ghazar Ghazaryan (the one who used to carry Pashinyan’s backpack during the revolution), has intentions to open such a service. Sources of the newspaper indicate that organizations belonging to Ghazaryan and one of the businessmen will be relocating some of the unemployed police officers. The contracts for the protection of 7000 objects will henceforth not be signed with the police but with the security services of those individuals.

More details are available in today’s issue of the newspaper.