The secret of Argishti Karamyan's resignation from the post of Director of the National Security Service

08.10.2025. Telegram channel ՊԱՇՏՊԱՆՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ / DEFENSE / DEFENSE reports:

Exactly five years ago, on October 8, 2020, Director of the National Security Service (NSS) Argishti Kyaramyan - who had taken part in discussions on the well-known counterblow operation - was dismissed following its failure. Naturally, despite our persistent inquiries, the reasons remain undisclosed.

Moreover, just a day earlier, on October 7, 2020, the Head of NSS Military Counterintelligence, Levon Shahumyan, was dismissed. Nikol Pashinyan’s “family” newspaper, Haykakan Zhamanak, interpreted the move as part of efforts to expose an espionage network.

Last year, we attempted, once again, to at least uncover the reasoning behind these dismissals.

The NSS responded by reminding us that, under the law, the agency is directly led by the NSS Director, and that “selection and replacement of relevant employees of national security bodies is based on the importance and specifics of the tasks set before the NSS, their urgency, and the need for effective exercise of official duties.”

Are we to assume that Levon Shahumyan, as head of NSS Military Counterintelligence, was ineffective in fulfilling his duties?

And do the same stated reasons apply to Argishti Kyaramyan, dismissed from his post as NSS Director on October 8, 2020? Then again, Pashinyan allowed him to remain in Artsakh with no official post — and later appointed him Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. In that capacity, Kyaramyan played a prominent role in the search for those “responsible” for the defeat in the 44-day war.

By the way, on October 8, 2020, Pashinyan found the man who was accusing him of “handing over the lands” and urging people not to fight. And yet, at that moment, we didn’t quite understand what had just unfolded.

It was precisely on October 8, 2020, that martial law was imposed, with the following restrictions:

• Propaganda against the defense capacity and security of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh was banned, including any publications questioning the defense capabilities of both republics.

• Publications criticizing, refuting, questioning the effectiveness, or in any way undermining the actions (including statements and publications) of state bodies, local self-government, or government officials connected to maintaining the legal regime of martial law and ensuring state security were prohibited.