PRESIDENT SACKS PROCURATOR GENERAL; APPOINTS

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000656

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SACKS PROCURATOR GENERAL; APPOINTS
LONG-TIME ALLY



1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified, protect accordingly.

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SUMMARY
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2. (U) On March 17 Kocharian unexpectedly sacked
Procurator General Tamazian, replacing him with his
most influential deputy, Aghvan Hovsepian. A strong
supporter of Kocharian, Hovsepian already held this
post from 1998-99. The President's decree gave no
reasons for the move. End Summary.

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TAMAZIAN OUT, HOVSEPIAN IN
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3. (SBU) Kocharian unexpectedly sacked Armenia's
Procurator-General Aram Tamazian and replaced him with
his most influential deputy Aghvan Hovsepian March 17.
A staunch Kocharian loyalist, Hovsepian previously held
the post from 1998-99. (Note: He resigned in the wake
of the October 27, 1999 attack on the Armenian
parliament. End Note.) Hovsepian had since worked as
a deputy Procurator General, however, and many local
observers regarded him as even more influential than
Tamazian.


4. (SBU) One of the country's most powerful law-
enforcement officials, Hovsepian has extensive business
interests, reportedly controlling a dairy firm and a TV
channel. He has also built a political support base
among prominent natives from his home district of
Aparan, a number of whom were elected to parliament
last year. (Note: The ARF Dashnaktsutyun, one of the
three parties represented in the government, criticized
Hovsepian's covert engagement in politics last year.
End Note.)

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BIO NOTES
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5. (U) Aghvan Hovsepian, 50, graduated from Yerevan
State University law school in 1974. He worked as
investigator in the Karelian Autonomous Republic of
Russia until 1978, then moved to Nagorno-Karabakh as
head of the Investigation Department of the local
Procurator's office. In 1986, Hovsepian was
transferred to the Regional Procurator's office in
Artik district (rayon) of Armenia as investigator. In
1989 Hovsepian was appointed investigator for special
cases at the Armenian Procurator General's office. In
1991 he was elected to the Armenian parliament where he
served until 1995; even during his parliamentarian
term, however, Hovsepian continued to work at the
Procurator General's office, eventually becoming chief
of the criminal investigations department in April

1998. From 1998-99 Hovsepian served as Procurator
General, and from 1999 until March 17 he was deputy
Procurator General. Hovsepian is married, with three
children.
Walker