Armenian opposition leader slams military emblem change

Armenian opposition figure Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the Bright Armenia party and a candidate for prime minister, has denounced the government’s decision to alter the emblem of the armed forces by removing the Christian cross, calling the move “sacrilegious” and lacking public consultation.

In a social media video on Tuesday, Marukyan said the change was revealed ahead of the May 28 military parade, adding that neither lawmakers nor the public had been informed about it. “Our ancestors went to war with the cross in their hands, with God’s blessing. Who decided to remove it? This is sacrilege,” he said.

Marukyan accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of making unilateral decisions on national symbols, suggesting that if re-elected, Pashinyan would remove Mount Ararat from Armenia’s state coat of arms. “You could have even put Nikol’s head on the emblem,” Marukyan said, questioning whether the change was demanded by Azerbaijan.