A report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlights concerns regarding actions and statements by Nikol Pashinyan toward the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), including the arrests of archbishops, bishops, parish priests, and deacons.
According to the report, Pashinyan’s public statements about the Armenian Apostolic Church have raised concerns about potential government interference in the Church’s religious autonomy. Throughout 2025, Pashinyan proposed establishing and personally appointing a council to elect a new leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church and promoted clergy aligned with his agenda to remove Catholicos Karekin II.
The report notes that Pashinyan’s attacks on Catholicos Karekin II coincided with the arrests of Armenian Apostolic Church clerics and lay members who had criticized or expressed political opposition to Pashinyan’s government. USCIRF states that whether these arrests are legally justified or religiously motivated remains a subject of ongoing debate.
USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) is an independent, bipartisan federal advisory body of the United States. The commission monitors religious freedom worldwide, develops policy recommendations for the U.S. president, secretary of state, and Congress, and publishes annual reports on violations of religious rights around the globe.
