Opposition politician slams Pashinyan as he marks remembrance day for fallen soldiers

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon on Tuesday to pay tribute to fallen soldiers as the country marked for the first time a state-designated remembrance day for those who died defending the homeland.

The visit drew sharp criticism from opposition politician Levon Zurabyan, coordinator of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), who accused Pashinyan of hypocrisy and moral cynicism.

“Nikol Pashinyan’s entire persona is embodied in the ‘message’ of today’s official commemoration,” Zurabyan wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that Pashinyan had sacrificed “thousands of lives and the security and dignity of millions” to cling to power and to meet the expectations of foreign actors. He linked the sacrifices to his efforts to avoid accusations of treason and to enable “reconciliation” with Azerbaijan and dialogue with Turkey.

“Then, he declares a day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and bows before their memory,” Zurabyan said, calling him a “desecrator”.