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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has claimed that Catholicos Karekin II of the Armenian Apostolic Church has sent delegations to various villages and settlements across Armenia to assess the possibility of launching a "new revolution" in the country.
“Yesterday I learned that Ktrij Nersisyan has sent delegations to various villages and settlements with the aim of launching a new revolution,” Pashinyan said, referring to the Church leader by his secular name.
“... We got rid of Bagrat’s revolution, and now Ktrij’s revolution is about to begin,” he said, referring to Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who led an anti-Pashinyan movement before being indicted and jailed on charges of plotting a violent coup and terrorism, charges he vehemently denies. He was subsequently released and placed under house arrest.
“He will come and say, ‘I am giving you 15 minutes, may you be damned if you do not resign,’” Pashinyan said.
Asked to elaborate, Pashinyan said:
“We have information that groups have been sent to various settlements to sound out the possibility of launching a socio-political movement, similar to the processes of 2024,” the Prime Minister said.
In 2024, when the delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in Tavush Province, a protest movement against it was launched under the leadership of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Catholicos Karekin II suspended Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan’s tenure as Primate of the Tavush Diocese, while Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan stated that he had launched the movement with the blessing of the Catholicos.
Karekin II and several other clergymen are facing an unrelated trial.