Opposition politician accuses Pashinyan of undermining church and national identity

A senior opposition figure has accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of seeking to divide the Armenian Apostolic Church and further erode the country’s statehood and identity following a joint statement by Pashinyan and a group of senior clerics regarding church "reforms".

Levon Zurabyan, vice chairman of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), said the move would mark a new chapter in what he called a series of actions harmful to the nation, adding that Pashinyan would be “remembered” for weakening Armenia’s institutions.

“Today Pashinyan took a historic step by which he will forever be remembered as one of the most consistent and devoted ‘pioneers’ in the dismantling and erosion of Armenian statehood and identity,” Zurabyan wrote on Facebook on Monday.

His remarks followed a declaration signed by Pashinyan and 10 bishops and archbishops, which Zurabyan described as an unlawful attempt to interfere in church affairs and to sow division among believers.

“The list of crimes committed against the Armenian people has now been expanded to include the schism of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the desecration of the lives of the faithful,” he said.

Zurabyan also linked the current controversy to past government decisions, citing the rejection of a 2019 peace plan, the 2020 war with Azerbaijan and the loss of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as part of a broader pattern of failure.