Why Four Members of the NSS 'Alpha' Unit Submitted Resignation Requests

The newspaper 'Hraparak' reports: About 15 days ago, news circulated that the commander of the NSS anti-terror special unit 'Alpha' had been changed, and with the arrival of the new director, a personnel leak from the NSS started, leading to resignation requests being filed. The new commander, Ararat Hovhannisyan, is a protégé of the well-known parliamentary member Hayk Sargsyan.

The previous commander was an experienced employee and did not serve as a political tool, which is the reason for the change. However, there was no information about those resigning at that time, and it seemed that the topic was closed. It turns out that this story has a continuation.

The new commander of 'Alpha' was introduced to the staff by NSS Deputy Director Samvel Hayrapetyan. In his speech, he made a peculiar claim that if necessary, the personnel should also carry out operations beyond their functions. When Hayrapetyan left, unit servicemen tried to inquire from the newly appointed director about what extraordinary operations he was referring to.

The new commander explained that the government is currently forming a mobile unit of 600-700 people, which should go out onto the streets during political developments to suppress public protest actions. The new commander noted that the deputy director probably meant that as professionals, they should participate in the operations of this unit, engage there, and act to defend the authorities.

This statement angered the veteran members of 'Alpha'. They declared that they are tasked with anti-terror operations and will not participate in the process of defending the authorities or act against the people. Following this discussion, 4-5 individuals submitted their resignation requests. It has been reported that the long-serving deputy commander of 'Alpha' and three others are among those who have resigned.

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