National Security Service (Armenia)

National Security Service of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Ազգային Անվտանգության Ծառայություն) is a state agency of Armenia, responsible for national security and intelligence and providing border troops, cryptographers, and the personal security to the Prime Minister of Armenia.[1][2]

National Security Service of Armenia
Հայաստանի Ազգային Անվտանգության Ծառայություն
The emblem of The National Security Service of Armenia

The National Security headquarters in Yerevan
Agency overview
Formed4 December 1991
Preceding agencies
JurisdictionGovernment of Armenia
EmployeesUndisclosed
Websitewww.sns.am

History
A 2018 stamp dedicated to the 100th anniversary of NSS

In late September 1991, the Soviet republic of Armenia declared its independence and therefore began the process of restructuring its Soviet-era security agencies, including the Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Armenian SSR.[3] According to a law on the structure and composition of the government adopted on 4 December 1991, the KGB was renamed into the State Directorate of National Security, with Major General Husik Suren Harutyunyan becoming its first director, serving until February 1992.[4]

Between 1996 and 1999, the government went through the process of uniting the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs into one department. Despite rumors that the NSS will be dismembered into several departments to follow a Russian format, the service runs with a KGB-style semi-militarized structure which remains unchanged since its establishment. On 17 December 2002, President Robert Kocharyan restructured the National Security Ministry into the NSS.[5][6]

The agency has a great reputation in Armenia due to its secrecy and professionalism compared to other state structures. While other government agencies, such as the Police of the Republic of Armenia, are unpopular because of personnel misconduct and corruption scandals, the NSS has succeeded in maintaining its integrity and that of its personnel. It is known to have participated in both the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis[7] and the 2018 anti-corruption crackdown.[8]

Structure

The NSS maintains senior organs as well as a central administration and regional directorates.[9] The Armenian Border Guard has, since 2004, been under the jurisdiction of the NSS after remaining under the control of the Ministry of Defence for 12 years.

Directors
  • Major General Usik Harutyunyan (1991-1992)[10]
  • Major General Valery Poghosyan (1992-1993)
  • Major General Eduard Simonyants (1993-1994)
  • David Shahnazaryan (1994-1995)
  • Serzh Sargsyan (1996-1999)
  • Lieutenant General Carlos Petrosyan (1999–2004)
  • Colonel General Gorik Hakobyan (2004-2016)
  • Major General Georgi Kutoyan (2016-2018)
  • Major General Arthur Vanetsyan (2018-2019)
  • Colonel Eduard Martirosyan (2019-2020)[11]
  • Colonel Argishti Kyaramyan (2020-present)[12]
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References
  1. "Armenia's National Security Service reveals another unsuccessful attempt of Azerbaijani propaganda". armenpress.am. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  2. "Armenia National Security Service exposes another failed Azerbaijan propaganda attempt". news.am. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  3. Paradox of power: Russia, Armenia, and Europe after the Velvet Revolution.
  4. "History". www.sns.am. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  5. https://www.sns.am/en/history/
  6. https://freedomhouse.org/report/countries-crossroads/2006/armenia
  7. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Hostage Crisis Continues in Armenia". Refworld. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  8. France-Presse, Agence (17 July 2016). "Armenian opposition group takes hostages in Yerevan police building". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  9. http://old.sns.am/index.php/ru/nss-today/structure
  10. Биография
  11. https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1009292.html
  12. https://news.am/eng/news/583818.html

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