Nikol Pashinyan’s stance on Hunan Poghosyan before and now

During the extraordinary session today, the Government appointed former Deputy Chief of Police Hunan Poghosyan as governor of Syunik Province of Armenia. This appointment led to controversial reactions from the public, and Nikol Pashinyan recognized it during the session, saying “I think in some sense this proposal may seem strange.”

It is noteworthy that during his tenure Poghosyan was accused by the press and by Pashinyan in the use of violence and illegal enrichment.

According to the 2012 study, his monetary assets at the beginning of 2011 comprised 75 million AMD, and at the end of the year they comprised 72 million AMD, though his annual salary, according to the 2011 declaration, was 4 million 552 thousand AMD. It means that his property exceeded his annual salary by 19 times.

As a parliamentary opposition MP, Nikol Pashinyan applied to the Special Investigation Service (SIS) in November 2013 so the latter would investigate allegations of violence against Shant Harutyunyan.

In the claim, Pashinyan stated that, according to Shant Harutyunyan, Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and his first deputy Hunan Poghosyan used violence against him on November 5. Moreover, according to Shant Harutiunian, Poghosyan “also threatened his son  (ed. Shahen Harutyunyan) and used humiliating swear words of sexual type. Meanwhile, a group of policemen were holding his hands.”  The SIS rejected Pashinyan’s claim “because of the absence of a crime described in the claim.”

During 2018 April demonstrations, Hunan Poghosyan, then Deputy Chief of Police, hindered the work of the journalist from Armtimes newspaper on Baghramyan Avenue. According to the daily, on April 18 “he ordered one of his subordinates not to allow photographs of the armored vehicles,” and then “aggressively ordered his subordinates to take the phone from the reporter.”

Hovhannes Nazaretyan