Prime Minister Still Has Plans to Undermine the Army: Artak Davtyan Interrogated by the Special Investigation Service, Says Movses Hakobyan

Movses Hakobyan, former head of the Armenian Ministry of Defense's Military Supervision Service and former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, stated in an interview with Factinfo that the Prime Minister still has plans to undermine the army, as indicated by the appointment of Artak Davtyan as the head of the General Staff.

As previously reported, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan, has been dismissed from his position by law as of today. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he had proposed Artak Davtyan's appointment as head of the General Staff to the President of Armenia. Notably, during Pashinyan's tenure, Davtyan has been dismissed from his position twice: first in June 2020 at Pashinyan's request due to a scandal related to his son's wedding, and then appointed as the head of the Military Industry Committee, a position he held for only four months.

Hakobyan expressed strong disapproval of Davtyan's potential appointment, stating that he has previously assessed Davtyan's actions and has not changed his opinion, emphasizing that Davtyan has caused significant harm to the army. “I assume the Prime Minister has identified more areas within the army to further dismantle,” he noted.

When questioned about why the Prime Minister had earlier dismissed Davtyan from the position of Chief of the General Staff, Hakobyan pointed out that no official statement has been made regarding the article under which Davtyan was dismissed. He explained that there are several criteria for dismissal, namely that the Chief of the General Staff can be dismissed either at their own request or in cases of criminal matters, and it must be a serious charge for dismissal to occur. “One cannot be dismissed for a single disciplinary violation. A criminal case must be initiated, and in the case of a criminal case, they are temporarily dismissed, and only after being found guilty in court are they permanently removed from their position,” he stated, adding that the same should apply to Onik Gasparyan and that neither Gasparyan nor Davtyan could have committed a violation severe enough to warrant dismissal.

“If Artak Davtyan was dismissed at his own request, he should be asked what changed for him to want to serve in the army now, as he previously declined. If he was dismissed due to a disciplinary violation, such a violation bars one from being appointed to a position for at least one year. In his case, that year has not passed,” Hakobyan stated.

Regarding the grounds for Onik Gasparyan’s dismissal, Hakobyan emphasized that the current authorities do not read the legal regulations related to the army, waking up in the morning to make decisions and declarations, thereby throwing the legal framework into chaos. Moreover, according to Hakobyan, he has accused Davtyan during the criminal case currently under investigation at the Special Investigation Service of contributing efforts to the dismantling of the army. Davtyan was interrogated regarding this criminal case, but Hakobyan indicated that he does not know Davtyan’s status within the case.

In response to the observation that the authorities are attempting to appoint someone to the head of the General Staff who may later face criminal charges, Hakobyan remarked, “Yes, but that does not mean it will happen.” He further discussed how to potentially resolve the current chaotic situation amid the country’s security issues, noting that responsible individuals must make decisions and implement them. “I cannot understand what is on the mind of today’s political leadership, what decisions they will make, and what they will implement. Everything that has been done until now has not been in the best interest of our country,” Hakobyan stated.

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan submitted a motion to dismiss Onik Gasparyan from the position of Chief of the General Staff after the General Staff of the Armed Forces issued a statement demanding Pashinyan and the government’s resignation. Pashinyan’s initial motion was returned by the President with objections, indicating that it seemingly contains constitutional violations. Pashinyan did not accept the objections and resubmitted the motion unchanged. The President did not sign the proposal but also did not contest its constitutionality in the Constitutional Court within the stipulated timeframe. Instead, he appealed to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the “Law on Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel.” Today, Pashinyan announced that Onik Gasparyan has been dismissed from his position by law. Gasparyan also issued a statement, indicating that he would appeal to the Administrative Court to contest the legal dismissal from his position. “My position remains unchanged: both the published statement and the entire process of dismissal are unconstitutional, which again confirms that a patriotically smart solution to the existing crisis can only be ensured through the resignation of the Prime Minister and early parliamentary elections. To ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law in the Republic of Armenia, I have appealed to the Administrative Court. I will continue my service to my country and the Armenian people in another capacity,” Gasparyan stated in his March 10 announcement.