In a heated exchange, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has found himself embroiled in a public feud with the Armenian Apostolic Church, escalating tensions that have seen mass arrests and accusations of coup plotting. In a bizarre attempt to quell dissent, Pashinyan proposed to expose himself to Church officials in a bid to counter claims regarding his circumcision, meant to affirm his Christian faith. The provocative offer was made to his 1.1 million Facebook followers in light of a post by a local priest likening him to Judas and questioning his Christian integrity.
The conflict intensified as Pashinyan faced mounting political pressure following Armenia's defeat to Azerbaijan in the 2020 war. His claims against Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Church, included allegations of fathering a child and breaking his celibacy vow, demanding the Catholicos' removal. In retaliation, the Church accused Pashinyan of threatening Armenia’s spiritual unity but notably refrained from addressing the specific allegations made about its leader.
As the standoff escalated, Armenian security forces detained 16 individuals linked to the Church, including prominent opposition cleric Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. These arrests raised eyebrows as part of claims that the detained planned to form assault groups to destabilize the current administration. Pashinyan's government described these actions as essential to maintaining national order, attributing much of this tension to an alleged opposition coup plan involving high-profile figures, including the recently detained billionaire Samvel Karapetyan.
Karapetyan, who has cultivated a close relationship with the Church, has been charged with calling for a violent power seizure, raising concerns about his arrest amongst Russia's Armenian diaspora and the potential ramifications for Armenia's political stability. Meanwhile, Pashinyan has taken steps toward nationalizing Karapetyan’s company, the Electric Networks of Armenia, asserting the need for governmental control over vital resources.
As the dust settles on this fraught political landscape, both Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church grapple with the consequences of a confrontation that risks igniting further divisions within the country.
The conflict intensified as Pashinyan faced mounting political pressure following Armenia's defeat to Azerbaijan in the 2020 war. His claims against Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Church, included allegations of fathering a child and breaking his celibacy vow, demanding the Catholicos' removal. In retaliation, the Church accused Pashinyan of threatening Armenia’s spiritual unity but notably refrained from addressing the specific allegations made about its leader.
As the standoff escalated, Armenian security forces detained 16 individuals linked to the Church, including prominent opposition cleric Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. These arrests raised eyebrows as part of claims that the detained planned to form assault groups to destabilize the current administration. Pashinyan's government described these actions as essential to maintaining national order, attributing much of this tension to an alleged opposition coup plan involving high-profile figures, including the recently detained billionaire Samvel Karapetyan.
Karapetyan, who has cultivated a close relationship with the Church, has been charged with calling for a violent power seizure, raising concerns about his arrest amongst Russia's Armenian diaspora and the potential ramifications for Armenia's political stability. Meanwhile, Pashinyan has taken steps toward nationalizing Karapetyan’s company, the Electric Networks of Armenia, asserting the need for governmental control over vital resources.
As the dust settles on this fraught political landscape, both Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church grapple with the consequences of a confrontation that risks igniting further divisions within the country.
