Political analyst: Pashinyan may succeed in confrontation with Armenian church

Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan appears likely to succeed in his ongoing confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, arguing that “half of his objectives have already been achieved”.

In a social media post on Friday, Melik-Shahnazaryan claimed the anti-church campaign was “carefully scripted” and is being implemented “without deviation”. He criticized both church leaders and opposition figures for lacking a unified strategy to defend the institution, saying internal divisions and hesitation have weakened resistance.

His comments came after the arrests of several clergymen, including Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan. Earlier this year, two other senior clerics, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan were detained on charges of plotting a coup and calling for the violent seizure of power in Armenia, respectively. The latter has been sentenced to two years in prison.

“The church predetermined its fate when it distanced itself from Archbishop Bagrat and his struggle,” the analyst wrote, adding that Pashinyan has exploited those divisions. He warned that “our spiritual and political leaders are being taken one by one”, urging unity and decisive action.