Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan, Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces General Staff, announced today that he’ll challenge, in court, PM Nikol Pashinyan’s decision to dismiss him.

On February 25, the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces issued a statement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on charges of incompetence and abuse of power.

Pashinyan then petitioned President Armen Sarkissian to sign off on a directive to sack Gasparyan.

Sarkissian refused to sign the dismissal decree on two occasions, arguing that it was unconstitutional and would exacerbate political tensions in the country.

A government website press release today says that the dismissal of Gasparyan is a fait accompli and legal given that Sarkissian failed to ask the Constitutional Court to annul the dismissal decree. 

Gasparyan, in a statement issued today, described the government’s statement and the entire dismissal process as unconstitutional. 

He said it proves that Pashinyan must resign, and snap elections held, to resolve the political crisis.  

Gasparyan said he would step aside from his duties until the courts ruled on his dismissal challenge.

Following Gasparyan’s statement, Colonel Samvel Asatryan, who heads the General Staff’s Department of Information, issued a separate statement announcing that the leadership of the Armed Forces backs Gasparyan and agrees that his dismissal is illegal.

Asatryan’s statement says the top military brass agree with Gasparyan regarding 

The head of the information department of the administrative staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces has issued a statement, which says that the leadership of the Armed Forces joins the message of Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan.

"The leadership of the RA Armed Forces joins the message of Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan, confirms the assessments given so far on the current situation in the republic. The solution to the current situation is one ․ it is mentioned in the message. 

Photo: Onik Gasparyan