Astghik Sargsyan

Three instructors were summarily jointly dismissed from the Nersisyan College in Etchmiadzin due to personal beliefs. The three dismissed employees include Hamlet Nahatakyan, an Honored Pedagogue of the ROA who is the College's Founding Director and Armenian language and literature professor; his daughter, lecturer Anahit Nahatakyan and Edik Amirjanyan, a work training instructor.

The official reason given for the dismissals is the reciprocal agreement between the Director and teachers for the latter to leave the work place while unofficially, the reason cited is that all three were supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

However, even before the talk of reciprocal agreements was even broached, the Regional Governorship of Armavir has sent directives to the teachers to draft personal letters of resignation. Even Hamlet Nahatakyan's wife, Seta Yengibaryan, Director of the College, was facing the threat of being dismissed.

During the pre and post presidential election period, Director S. Yengibaryan had actively worked in favor of Serzh Sargsyan and didn't take the political sentiments of her husband or daughter into account.

In order to hold on to her position as Director, Seta Yengibaryan agreed to all the conditions placed before her, which in turn served as a basis for negotiations with the appropriate authorities at the Regional Governor's Office. The issue was clearly stated - if the teachers refused to leave based on personal applications to do so they would be dismissed by directive. But on what basis would this take place? Such a move would create quite a stir in the school attended by 500 students. The discussions lead to the most unexpected and distasteful of conclusions - delve into the minute recesses of the Nahatakyan's marriage. The issue would end up cutting apart the couple's nuptial bed. In order to continue on in her position, the following 'inexpensive' proposition has made to her - in all only three teachers would have to be dismissed including her husband and daughter, and the problem would be solved.

That is what happened. According to Article 109, Section 1, of the ROA Labor Statues, her husband, Hamlet Nahatakyan, and instructor Edik Amirjanyan, were dismissed on March 20th based on reciprocal agreements and her daughter, Anahit Nahatakyan, was dismissed based on Section 2 of the same Article.

The Director refused to discuss the actual reasons for their dismissal. Instead, confusing our function with that of a law enforcement body, she asked, «Have there been any complaints? Is that why you are asking?» She couldn't accept the fact that we were only registering the facts of the case and demanded that we not refer to the dismissed individuals.

Hamlet Nahatakyan stated that a few days before he had personally met with Garnik Isagulyan, an Advisor to the President, and with S. Simonyan, Director of the Prime Minister's Educational Staff. The two officials labeled the case absurd and promised to look into the matter.

As for the young teacher Anahit Nahatakyan, she met with Regional Governor Ashot Ghahramanyan to gauge whether the regional authorities were firm in their decision. She stated that, «The outcome of the meeting was more than I expected when I told the Governor that I never participated in any of the public rallies and that I merely supported my father's convictions. He believed what I had to say and directed the Head of the Educational Division to reinstate me.»

Later on it was revealed that an acquaintance of the Head of the Regional Educational Division had already assumed Anahit Nahatakyan's former position. The young teacher’s status is once again unresolved.