National Security Service levers of power used for the benefit of Artur Vanetsyan

The National Security Service issued two statements on March 28 and 30. In one case, the official website of the National Security Service refuted a publication by the “Zhamanak” daily and 1in.am website related to Artur Vanetsyan. In the other case there was already a clear demand to refute the next publication in the same “Zhamanak” daily related to the director of the NSS.

First of all, it should be stated that the publications by “Zhamanak” daily refer to functions not related to the official duties of the NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan. In the publication Artur Vanetsyan’s name was used in the context of possession of someone else’s property, “getting into someone else’s business”.

Given this fact, it should be noted that the dissemination of two official statements by the NSS website, and the demand for refutal is an example of misuse of levers of power. Besides, the following statement containing personal PR in favor of NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan was disseminated, “Just another disinformation related to RA NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan, which does not correspond to reality and undermines the role the National Security Service has in the process of building a new Armenia.” We should state here that identifying the activity of the NSS with NSS director’s functions not related to his official duties is inappropriate.

Referring to international experience in such situations, it should be noted that the Director of the National Security Service Arthur Vanetsyan or his personal lawyer should respond to publications that have nothing to do with the fulfillment of his official duties. It is noteworthy that the Armenian Football Federation, whose president is also Arthur Vanetsyan, did not publish such statements.