Shurnukh Village Head Hakob Arshakyan Dismissed from Position

The newspaper 'Haykakan Jamanak' reports that, according to its sources, Hakob Arshakyan, the head of the border village of Shurnukh in the Syunik Province, has been dismissed from his position. Reliable sources indicate that Arshakyan was removed from office following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to the province on August 17, 2023.

Local authorities in Syunik explain that Arshakyan was dismissed due to frequent alcohol consumption, with the intent to replace him with a younger candidate. However, our sources suggest that the real reason for his dismissal was his inability to behave in a manner that was sufficiently deferential to the authorities during Pashinyan's visit. Allegedly, he was rude and made inappropriate remarks, leading Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan to decide on his dismissal.

'Haykakan Jamanak' attempted to reach both Hakob Arshakyan and Arush Arushanyan for explanations, but our calls have gone unanswered for three days. Nevertheless, we did manage to speak with Artem Agajanyan, the first deputy of the Goris Mayor, who stated, 'Hakob Arshakyan has been dismissed in accordance with his own request. It is time to make way for the youth.' He also quickly denied any information regarding incidents during Pashinyan's visit, claiming there is no truth to such reports.

It is worth noting that Arush Arushanyan himself was wrongfully imprisoned for his political stance and continues to serve as the Mayor of Goris, but has refrained from making any politically charged statements since his release.

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