Nikol Pashinyan has launched a calculated campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, raising serious concerns about his disregard for the country’s constitutional norms. The Initiative of Five Human Rights Defenders has accused Pashinyan of deliberately undermining the constitutional order, pointing to a recent social media post as the culmination of efforts to bring the Church under state control.
Pashinyan has publicly stated that the Republic of Armenia must play a decisive role in electing the Catholicos of All Armenians, that candidates for Catholicos must undergo a vetting process for moral integrity, and that the issue must be resolved once and for all. Civil society groups warn that these statements pose a direct threat to the Church’s autonomy and violate the constitutional separation between church and state. The defenders argue that such actions may amount to a serious criminal offense under Armenian law.
Despite the gravity of these allegations, the Initiative expresses little hope for legal recourse, citing widespread distrust in Armenia’s law enforcement institutions, which they claim are politically compromised and lack true independence.
The defenders are calling on citizens—particularly members of the Armenian Apostolic Church—to stand up in defense of the constitutional order and the Church’s independence.
Amid these internal threats, the Armenian Church is also facing external pressure. At a recent Council of Qadis meeting in Baku, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade claimed that historic Armenian religious sites, including the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, lie on Azerbaijani territory. He went further, labeling the Armenian Apostolic Church a destabilizing force in the region.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin strongly rejected these claims, denouncing them as false and inflammatory attempts to undermine Armenia’s religious and cultural heritage.
