Has Sargis Galstyan Taken His Position by Shahramanian's Order? Lawyer Clarifies

Unfounded and unreliable information has spread regarding the President of the Republic of Artsakh. This was stated by Artsakh lawyer Roman Yeritsyan in response to a publication from one of the media outlets with the headline, “Shahramanian Appoints State Traitor After Signing the Document for the Dissolution of Artsakh, Being Well Aware of Sargis Galstyan's Betrayal.”

“Perhaps we should start with the fact that Sargis Galstyan is not a convicted state traitor but merely accused of espionage. Under what conditions it is at least absurd to claim that by appointing a state traitor, Shahramanian has effectively committed state treason,” Yeritsyan writes.

“Secondly, the President of Artsakh does not have, and has never had, the authority to appoint anyone to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff. Therefore, the statement that Galstyan has taken up his position by presidential order is, to say the least, unrealistic. There has never been, and could never be, an order regarding the dissolution of Artsakh within the legal framework of its system. Despite numerous statements I have already made about this, I must again emphasize that claims regarding the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh by presidential decree do not correspond to reality.”

Addressing the background of Sargis Galstyan’s appointment, the lawyer informed the public that Galstyan did not participate in the evacuation of the population of Artsakh but instead stated that he was staying in Artsakh with his family. Taking into account that he, along with dozens of other residents, did not leave Artsakh, and that Galstyan was the only one among the remaining residents with public service experience (holding other state or public service positions), he was therefore appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff by the relevant authorized official. The order was issued in Russian to negotiate with the Azerbaijani authorities on behalf of the remaining Artsakh residents and to represent their interests,” Yeritsyan specifically stated.