PM Pashinyan Fires NSS Chief After Failed Arrest Attempt on Billionaire Who Criticized Government

Armen Abazyan has been removed from his position as Director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS). The government announced the dismissal on Wednesday, one day after NSS officers failed to detain Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan in a forceful and public way.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not offer a clear reason for Abazyan’s dismissal. When asked by reporters, he gave a vague answer: “I think he deserves to rest a bit. He has worked in tense conditions for five years. I think you understand that it hasn’t been easy.” While Pashinyan avoided a direct explanation, the timing of the firing has led many to believe that it was tied to the raid against Karapetyan.

On Tuesday, NSS officers surrounded the Yerevan mansion of Samvel Karapetyan, a billionaire businessman who recently criticized the government's ongoing campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Karapetyan’s sharp words were seen as a challenge to Pashinyan, who reportedly responded by personally ordering the NSS to take action. 

However, despite the show of force, the NSS did not carry out a dramatic arrest. As hundreds of Karapetyan’s supporters gathered near the mansion, officers quietly withdrew. The businessman later left his home on his own and was escorted to a police station without confrontation.

Tigran Abrahamyan, an opposition lawmaker and former security official, said this could be one of several reasons for the dismissal. “Maybe it has to do with the fact that [Abazyan] too has some red lines that he didn’t want to cross,” he said. Abrahamyan noted that Abazyan may have disagreed with how far the government was willing to go in this political struggle.

Abazyan was appointed in November 2020, just one day before Armenia signed the Russia-brokered ceasefire that ended the war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). His leadership of the NSS took place during one of the most difficult periods in recent Armenian history, including post-war instability, regional threats, and growing tensions inside the country.

He is the fifth person to lead the NSS since Pashinyan came to power in 2018. The NSS plays a critical role in national defense, intelligence, and law enforcement. Frequent leadership changes, especially during times of national strain, raise serious questions about stability at the highest levels of government.

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