Conflict between government and church in Armenia: Pashinyan accuses clergy of working for the Kremlin

The confrontation between the government and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church is escalating in Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has moved from accusations of violating church canons to more serious statements, linking the activities of the high clergy to the interests of the Russian Federation. This conflict is unfolding against the backdrop of the approaching parliamentary elections and is seen as a key element of the authorities’ election campaign.

According to European Pravda, the acute phase of the conflict has been going on for more than half a year, but the recent statements of the prime minister have brought it to a new level. If earlier the claims were of an intra-church nature, now Pashinyan, albeit veiled, accused the church leadership of working for a foreign state, namely the Russian Federation. This was a serious step in the political struggle that the Prime Minister is waging with Catholicos Garegin II.

Relations between Nikol Pashinyan and the head of the Armenian Church were strained even before he came to power. The prime minister has consistently called for the resignation of the Catholicos, defiantly calling him by his secular name, Ktrich Nersisyan. Pashinyan claims that Garegin II has broken his vow of celibacy and cannot be the spiritual leader of the nation.

The situation worsened in 2025, when Armenia’s security services said they had uncovered a coup attempt. According to the authorities, conspirators linked to church circles planned to seize power and used temples to store weapons and explosives. Commenting on this, Nikol Pashinyan promised that he would lay down his life to «free our sanctity, our church from them.»

Political analysts see in the Prime Minister’s actions a clear pre-election calculation. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for June next year, and according to Edgar Khachatryan, coordinator of the Armenian National Platform, «this attack is aimed at blocking Russian influence agents before the elections.»

Particular attention in this context is paid to the Catholicos’ brother, Archbishop Ezras, who heads the diocese in Russia. Pashinyan himself calls him a «KGB agent». According to Armenian media, it is through him that funding and instructions for the church leadership allegedly come from the Kremlin.

Thus, the «church war» is becoming one of the central elements of Pashinyan’s election strategy. According to Boris Navasardyan, honorary president of the Yerevan Press Club, the prime minister demonstrates confidence in his victory by not being afraid to attack such influential forces. Even if the Catholicos cannot be removed, the high-profile accusations undermine the Church’s authority and reduce its ability to influence politics or participate in the possible discrediting of election results.

As a reminder, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a high-profile statement declaring Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II deprived of his dignity and accusing him of violating his vow of celibacy and seizing the patriarchal throne. This statement, made in Parliament, testifies to the unprecedented aggravation of relations between the state authorities and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which has lasted for several months and is accompanied by criminal cases against a number of high-ranking clergymen.