Opposition politician condemns Pashinyan's anti-church campaign

Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov, a senior member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), has lambasted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the ruling Civil Contract party for their campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church and its senior clergy.

“This is a national disgrace,” Sharmazanov told reporters on Thursday.

“A man who has destroyed the state now dares to question others. Was it the clergy’s fault that Artsakh was surrendered? It is you who should be answering questions," Pashinyan

Sharmazanov made the remarks at Yerevan’s Komitas Pantheon, where he and his fellow RPA members paid tribute to former Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan on his birthday.

“It is absurd that the very person who surrendered Artsakh, who is responsible for 5,000 casualties and Artsakh’s depopulation and who has effectively abandoned the Armenian Genocide recognition campaign under pressure from Turkey and Azerbaijan, is now the one asking questions. In any normal country, it’s the authorities who are held accountable. But here, he’s the one demanding answers. It's outrageous,” Sharmazanov stated, accusing Pashinyan of pursuing destructive policies.