We Criticized the Hanging of the Country Leader's Picture in the Investigator's Office: Hrachya Hakobyan

We have previously criticized not for hanging the picture of the executive leader, for instance, in the office of a teammate, but for a very specific case where the leader's picture was hung in the investigator's office. Hrachya Hakobyan, a member of the ruling 'Civil Contract' faction, stated this during the 'Sunday Analytical' program on Radio Azatutyun, addressing a recently circulated photo on social media, which shows that the offices of the ruling parliamentary members have Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pictures hung up.

'If we go now and take a tour, for example, in the Investigative Committee, I am confident that we will not see the prime minister's picture in any investigator’s office. Nikol Pashinyan is our political leader, and it is up to each individual to decide whether they will hang the picture of the prime minister along with the symbols of Armenia—the coat of arms, the flag. I repeat, we will not encounter such a thing in any investigator’s or police officer’s office,' said MP Hrachya Hakobyan.

When asked whether it is normal for the Speaker of Parliament to hang Pashinyan’s picture in his office, the ruling party member stated that he has been in Alen Simonyan's office and he did not see the prime minister’s picture there.

Hrachya Hakobyan added that hanging Pashinyan’s picture is not an obligation. It is noteworthy that a few days ago, a photo circulated on the internet showing the picture of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hung in the office of Andranik Kocharyan, the head of the Permanent Committee on Defense and Security Affairs of the National Assembly.

Years ago, when Nikol Pashinyan was a member of parliament, he had raised the issue of hanging the picture of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan, in officials’ offices from the parliamentary podium on various occasions, citing prosecutors and investigators, stating, 'The picture is a constant connection issue; they receive reports every evening and instructions every morning.' Upon coming to power in 2018, Pashinyan had instructed to remove the pictures from all office walls and declared that there would no longer be pictures of the leaders of the Republic of Armenia on the walls of officials’ offices.