Head of the Armenian General Staff promised to continue serving

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The head of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan called the decree of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his dismissal unconstitutional. He wrote about this on the page of the Information Department of the General Staff chief Samvel Asatryan in Facebook .

According to the military, the process of his dismissal is also contrary to the Constitution. The general stressed that he does not recognize his legitimacy, and therefore will go to court and demand reinstatement in office.

Gasparyan , I confirm once again that the resolution of the current crisis can be ensured only through the resignation of the Prime Minister and early parliamentary elections.

He also promised to continue serving in the army, but already in a different status and called on all the military in Armenia to follow his example. Dear generals, officers and soldiers, the unique mission of the army is to ensure the security of the homeland, so I urge you to continue serving," added the head of the General Staff.

The political crisis in Armenia turned into an acute phase after the armed forces demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the country's government. They were later joined by police officers. Against this background, Pashinyan issued a decree dismissing Onik Gasparyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, but President Armen Sarkissian twice refused to sign the corresponding act of the Prime Minister.

On March 10, Pashinyan stated that Gasparyan is considered dismissed, despite the president's refusal to approve the decision. He stressed that according to the legislation of the republic, the decree on dismissal comes into force if it has not been challenged in the Constitutional Court within 14 days.

Protests demanding that Pashinyan leave his post have continued in Armenia since the end of the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Opposition forces accuse the prime minister of betraying the national interests of the country; they have created a political movement "For the Salvation of the Motherland", which includes representatives of 17 parties and organizations.