Armenian opposition member says constitutional order has collapsed during protest amid von der Leyen visit

An Armenian opposition politician and political analyst said on Thursday that constitutional governance and fundamental rights no longer exist in the country, speaking at a protest outside the government headquarters that coincided with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Yerevan.

Stepan Danielyan, a member of the opposition Mother Armenia faction, argued that Armenia's constitutional order had effectively collapsed and called restoring constitutional rights the country's top political priority.

"We are in a country where constitutional order no longer exists, where there are no constitutional freedoms," Danielyan said. He alleged that property rights were no longer protected and criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, claiming the premier had threatened to "bankrupt everyone in Armenia."

Danielyan also accused the government of undermining freedom of speech, stating that courts were being used to silence critics. He further claimed there was no freedom of conscience, arguing that the prime minister was interfering in church affairs by deciding who should serve as catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

He alleged that the presumption of innocence was no longer respected, accusing Pashinyan of directing law enforcement on whom to arrest and prosecute.

"We must understand that the constitution no longer functions in Armenia, and our main task is to restore constitutional rights," Danielyan said. "This is the country's number one political issue."

Danielyan further described Armenia as an authoritarian state with external backers, criticizing von der Leyen's visit and accusing the European Union of portraying "illegal actions" as the defense of democracy.

"One of those backers is in Yerevan today — Ursula von der Leyen," he said. "We live in an unfree country, and today's only political agenda is restoring the constitution."

He also accused the European Union of undermining democracy in Armenia for geopolitical reasons and urged Armenians not to be misled by false democratic rhetoric.