What Happened to the Foreign Intelligence Service and Kristine Grigoryan: "Hraparak"

According to the newspaper "Hraparak," although the National Assembly adopted the law on "Foreign Intelligence Activities and the Foreign Intelligence Service" on December 23, the President signed it on December 30, and it came into force on December 31, this body has not yet been established. In response to our inquiry about whether the service has been formed—whether it has employees, a staffing table, administrative buildings, and so on—officials from the government stated that it has not yet been formed, and requested a written inquiry about when it will be established.

It should be noted that former Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan resigned on January 23, informing the employees of the Human Rights Defender's office that she had received another job offer, and the very next day she packed her things and left the Human Rights Defender’s office. Moreover, she was supposed to submit her resignation again in a week, but she was in such a hurry that she submitted a resignation letter for the second time on the same day to expedite the process.

Information has emerged that she is to be appointed as the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. During those days, when asked whether she would be appointed, Grigoryan did not respond, promising to give an interview later. It is clear that even the processes stipulated by law have not been properly organized by the authorities.

We were told that after the law comes into effect, the National Security Service can engage in foreign intelligence activities for another three years. This means that this service may not be formed for another three years. In this case, the question arises as to why Kristine Grigoryan resigned, and what prevented her from being appointed to this position with the same speed, allowing for the establishment of this structure.

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