Armenian MP accuses security service of political intimidation

An opposition MP has accused Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) of using elite units to intimidate government critics, following a series of high-profile detentions.

During a parliament session on Wednesday, Anna Grigoryan of the Hayastan faction questioned NSS Deputy Director Yesayi Mkrtchyan over recent operations in which special security officers stormed homes or forced suspects to the ground. She cited the cases of lawyer Alexander Kochubayev, as well as Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, co-hosts of the Imnemnimi podcast known for its sharp criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government.

Grigoryan asked what level of threat the men posed that required “elite counter-terror units” rather than standard police procedures. She accused the NSS of acting as “a baton against political opponents” and damaging the agency’s credibility.

Mkrtchyan declined to comment on specific operations, saying only that the NSS operates strictly within its legal mandate to protect national security and adheres to principles of legality and equality before the law.