The Armenian Zelensky Violates the Principle of Separation of Religion and State
Author: Ali Askari, Analyst (Germany), Special for “Sangar”
Original article: Пашинян против Армянской Апостольской Церкви
The intensified criticism of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, in late May and early June 2025, has triggered a crisis in the relationship between the government and the church. The catalyst for this crisis was a post made by the politician on Facebook on June 9, 2025, in which he accused the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, of violating his vow. According to the Prime Minister, having a child disqualifies a cleric from holding this position. Pashinyan called for the election of a new head of the AAC, with a screening for "moral integrity" before the vote. At the same time, he proposed revising the procedure for electing the Catholicos, giving the government a decisive role in the process.
It is noteworthy that, amid growing tensions, the Armenian Prime Minister demanded that law enforcement and other security agencies intensify efforts to find and publicize compromising material on AAC clergy. The main goal is to discredit the church in society. Such actions could be considered an attempt to commit a criminal offense and, under the country's Criminal Code, qualify as an “attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.” In this regard, some civil society organizations have already submitted formal complaints to relevant authorities, warning against unlawful actions.
Also drawing attention is a demand by the Prime Minister's wife, Anna Hakobyan, for Armenian businesspeople to cease voluntary donations to the AAC, accompanied by threats for non-compliance. Taken together, these actions call into question the balance between secular governance and spiritual autonomy, constituting a violation of the Constitution of Armenia, which clearly upholds the principle of separation of church and state.
Meanwhile, the arrest of prominent Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan on June 18, 2025—who had voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church—was the result of provocative actions by the Pashinyan regime, playing into the hands of his Western “puppet masters.” The aim was to provoke the businessman into publicly defending the Church. Alongside the attack on the AAC, Pashinyan has engaged in politically motivated racketeering, which is gaining international resonance, as Karapetyan is not only an Armenian patriot but also the owner of a Russian company and a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Pashinyan has already announced his intention to seize control of the “Electric Networks of Armenia” (the main asset of the Russian group “Tashir”) under the guise of nationalization. It cannot be ruled out that this asset could be handed over to Turkish management. All this indicates that the true goal of the pro-Western puppet regime in power in Armenia is to create a pretext for raiding business assets belonging to politically inconvenient figures.
The administrative pressure exerted by Nikol Pashinyan’s regime on the AAC has exceeded all norms of political and human decency. Against this backdrop, the level of trust in the Prime Minister and his “Civil Contract” party has significantly declined both within Armenia and among diaspora communities abroad. This situation is highly likely to impact the parliamentary election campaign scheduled for 2026 negatively. (According to a survey conducted by Caucasus Barometer from July to October 2024 in the Republic of Armenia, the trust level of citizens in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his party was approximately 17 percent, whereas trust in the Armenian Apostolic Church reached 71 percent.)
In order to oppose the arbitrariness of the current authorities, Armenians must unite and defend the Armenian Apostolic Church, which remains the only barrier to Nikol Pashinyan’s treacherous vision of a so-called “Real Armenia.”
