A wave of high-profile resignations has shaken Armenia’s judicial and law enforcement sectors following sharp public criticism from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The resignations, which were rumored in media reports on Sunday, were confirmed on Monday.
Those stepping down include Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan, Anti-Corruption Committee Chairman Sasun Khachatryan, Supreme Judicial Council President Karen Andreasyan, Investigative Committee Chairman Argishti Kyaramyan, and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan.
During last Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, Pashinyan issued criticism of Armenia’s judicial and law enforcement bodies, accusing them of failing to address what he described as a persistent lack of justice in the country.
On Monday, Pashinyan took to Facebook to confirm that he had “asked a number of high-ranking officials to leave their positions.” He stressed that his decision was not rooted in personal grievances but in broader systemic shortcomings, writing, “The reasons for making such a request are not personal but systemic, which I have spoken about publicly.”
The resignations include long-serving officials who were considered part of Pashinyan’s inner circle. Vahe Ghazaryan, the Minister of Internal Affairs, is a childhood friend of the Prime Minister. Ghazaryan rose quickly through the ranks, becoming police chief in 2020 before being appointed minister in 2023.
Another key departure is Argishti Kyaramyan, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, who has been a trusted ally of Pashinyan and previously served as head of the National Security Service. His resignation follows a controversial parliamentary hearing last month, where Kyaramyan clashed with Hovik Aghazaryan, a lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party. Aghazaryan accused the Investigative Committee of bullying citizens with baseless arrests, prompting an outburst from Kyaramyan. It is also speculated that Hovik Aghazaryan and Narek Zeynalyan, another MP from the Civil Contract party, will be resigning soon.
In a brief statement, Kyaramyan described his resignation as the result of “internal reassessments arising from the situation surrounding recent activities of the general law enforcement system.”
The resignations have fueled speculation about Pashinyan’s motives, with opposition figures suggesting the shake-up may be part of a strategy to restore public confidence in his government ahead of general elections slated for 2026.
