The official, Aram Ghazarian, is a former police officer who served until now as governor of Armenia’s northern Lori province. Ghazarian became the head of a local Civil Contract chapter less than a month ago. In line with Armenian law, he terminated his membership in the ruling party on the eve of his latest appointment.
Ghazarian is reportedly a cousin of a notorious crime figure shot dead in 2021. The 53-year-old did not deny that relation but refused to comment further when he briefly spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Arpine Sargsian introduced Ghazarian to the top police brass later in the day. An Interior Ministry statement cited Sargsian as saying that she expects him to “breathe new life into the work of the police” and continue ongoing “reforms” of the law-enforcement agency.
Meanwhile, it remained unclear why the previous police chief, Aram Hovannisian, resigned on Monday. Multiple media outlets reported that the resignation was ordered by Pashinian. But they gave different reasons for that. Pashinian’s office refused to comment on Hovannisian’s exit.
Hovannisian, 58, ran the national police service for over two years. He personally led crackdowns on antigovernment demonstrators demanding Pashinian’s resignation. Armenia’s crime rate continued to rise during his tenure.