Pashinyan vows to 'liberate' Armenian church like former regime

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared that the Armenian Apostolic Church will be "liberated" in the same way that Armenia was freed from former President Serzh Sargsyan’s rule.

Pashinyan made these remarks during a recent press conference, responding to growing criticism of his government's stance toward the church and its leadership.

Rejecting claims that he is orchestrating a campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians, the head of the Armenian Church, Pashinyan said:

“The Armenian Apostolic Church is sacred to me and my family. Therefore, we cannot fight it in any way. Whatever we do, we do for the church itself. If the church were not sacred to us, we would simply remain indifferent to the destructive process observed today. Moreover, the current activities of the church, unfortunately, harm it itself.”

Despite the Prime Minister’s claims of respect for the church, his government has faced increasing backlash from religious leaders and conservative circles over its alleged interference in religious affairs and its broader reform agenda.