I consider these actions against my wife and son to be mere revenge - former NSS chief

Below is a situation that I am sure thousands of people have faced or fear that in case of slight disobedience or disagreement, they may encounter the risk of losing their job and source of income, which is undoubtedly extremely important and painful for every person, especially in a country like Armenia where everything is centralized in the hands of power. This was stated by the former head of the NSS, Mikayel Hambardzumyan, on his Facebook page, adding that, in his deep conviction, one should not live in fear, with false indifference or personal gain, especially when there is reasonable suspicion that the security of your homeland is in jeopardy.

“By presenting the following case related to my family, I want to say through our example that one should not be afraid or disheartened. In the end, we are not alone, and we are not pursuing any ill intentions. The fact that I was included in the defense committee of General Grigori Khachaturov, as well as my interview during the recent meeting with students, has deepened dissatisfaction towards me within the ruling circles, and as a result, during these two days, my wife was forced to be dismissed from her job without any objective reason or legal basis, which consequently led my son, unable to tolerate the unfair treatment of his mother, to leave the NSS despite not completing his mandatory five years of service in the system.

I remain firmly convinced that there is no basis for keeping General Khachaturov in custody, and this clearly has a political subtext. I also stand by all the thoughts I have expressed previously and will speak out again when I find it appropriate. I consider the actions against my wife and son to be mere revenge, which cannot go without moral and legal consequences, even in the future.

If this is how they treat my family, then imagine what is happening around individuals with opposition viewpoints. The most painful thing for me would be to confirm that the NSS is involved in this coercive process, as such an assault on family members is unprecedented and evidently personalized. Remember, we live in our own country, in our own city, where almost everyone knows each other, understands what is happening, and knows or at least feels who is who. It is undeniable that whatever has a beginning also has an end,” he wrote.