The Police Guard is one of four branches of the country’s police force and is designed to strengthen Armenia’s domestic security system through what officials describe as more targeted and specialized tools. According to the government, the new unit is equipped with modern weaponry that meets international standards and staffed by specially trained personnel.
The Police Guard will be responsible for maintaining public order and ensuring public safety. Its duties will also include protecting facilities of strategic importance that are under state protection, assisting in the protection of individuals under special state security, supporting law-enforcement bodies conducting criminal proceedings, and participating in civilian protection efforts during emergencies.
Officials emphasized that members of the Police Guard will not be authorized to use force without undergoing the required special training.
The government said the formation of the Police Guard is also intended to better organize and facilitate the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attended the inauguration ceremony on Saturday, describing the launch as a significant step in the ongoing reform of the country’s domestic security system.
“Today, we are opening a new page in history, and our expectation is that the Police Guard will become a qualitatively new service – for the Republic of Armenia, for its citizens, and for its own personnel,” Pashinian said.
Opposition groups in Armenia have long claimed that the Pashinian government is turning the country into a police state, using security structures to serve its own political interests – an allegation the prime minister and his political team have denied. The opposition, which has repeatedly raised concerns about police brutality during political demonstrations, has stepped up its criticism of the current administration’s security reforms ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.