Former ombudsman slams Pashinyan's hate campaign against church

Former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has strongly criticized Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, his spouse and other members of the ruling Civil Contract party for hate speech targeting the Armenian Apostolic Church and its top clergymen.

In a social media post on Saturday, Tatoyan attributed the attack on the church to Pashinyan's low approval rating.

He warned that the government is undermining constitutional principles, acting in sync with Azerbaijani interests, and eroding the national identity and core values. He also accused Pashinyan of unlawfully interfering in church affairs, including the election of the catholicos, suggesting an intent to “seize control” of the church.

"We must not become passive observers in this political theater. Instead, we must defend national values by rejecting both state-sponsored and individual hate campaigns," Tatoyan added.