Expert condemns fresh attacks on Armenian church

A new wave of attacks has been launched against the Armenian Apostolic Church not only by Armenia’s “capitulatory regime”, but also by Azerbaijan, political analyst Varuzhan Geghamyan warns.

In a social media post on Friday, Geghamyan pointed to an article published by İki Sahil, a media outlet affiliated with Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR. The report targets Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II using offensive language.

“Such articles and statements have become common in both Azerbaijan and Turkey,” Geghamyan noted.

He attributed the latest smear campaign to Karekin II’s recent efforts in Switzerland, where he sought to raise international awareness of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian actions.

Geghamyan also cited fellow political analyst Vlad Martirosyan, who argues that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is under external pressure to weaken so-called “revanchist” forces in Armenia.

“The Armenian church, historically the most conservative and stable institution in the country, has become a target,” Geghamyan said. “The goal is to discredit the church and diminish its influence among the Armenian people.”