
ArmInfo. The fragmentation and disintegration of Armenia's law enforcement system is no longer solely a failure of governance - it has become a direct threat to the country's national security.
Political scientist Suren Surenyants wrote this on his Facebook page, responding to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's question to the head of the country's Investigative Committee about why crime rates in the country continue to rise.
According to Surenyants, the rise in crime is primarily due to the fact that law enforcement agencies are no longer an instrument for upholding the law, but have become a means of carrying out political orders aimed against opponents of the government.
"In such conditions, criminals feel impunity and act more confidently. Unprofessional approaches undermine the system from within. As a result, appointments to investigative and law enforcement agencies are made not based on experience and knowledge, but on political loyalty. This leads to the system functioning ineffectively, thereby undermining respect for the law. When the government itself violates the Constitution or circumvents the law, society begins to perceive this as the norm," the political scientist explained.
Thus, according to Sureniants, if impunity is accepted at the highest levels of government, street crime ceases to be seen as an exception. Thus, as the political scientist noted, a social crisis creates the grounds for a growing criminal atmosphere, while job shortages, poverty, unfair distribution, and hopelessness push people toward criminal behavior, viewing it as a means of survival.
He also noted that when the state fails to protect public safety, the law, and its citizens, not only public order but also the sovereignty and viability of the state are at risk. "To Pashinyan's question, 'What are they doing wrong?' the answer is simple and inevitable: the state is failing to fulfill its most fundamental responsibility-ensuring the protection of its citizens and restoring the rule of law," Sureniants concluded.
As a reminder, during his speech, Nikol Pashinyan, referring to the murder of Volodya Grigoryan, head of the Parakar community, asked why the crime rate had risen and what could have been done to prevent it. "Every shot a citizen ultimately perceives as a shot at themselves," Pashinyan stated at the time.
According to the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the first eight months of 2025, the overall number of crimes in the country decreased by 1.1%, as well as a reduction in murders from 34 in 2024 to 32, and a 44% reduction in burglaries. At the same time, an increase in attempted murders has been noted.