Archbishop Bagrat Responds to Nikol Pashinyan's Statement

The leader of the "Tavush for the Homeland" movement, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, responded to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's declaration regarding the absence of a campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Pashinyan stated that there is no campaign against the church in Armenia, nor has there ever been, and there will not be one in the future. He emphasized that those who perceive a campaign against the church should look elsewhere, as it has nothing to do with the Government of Armenia or the ruling majority.

"So is he defending Baku? He says there’s no campaign? We have said what we needed to say; let them respond as they wish," remarked the archbishop.

It is noteworthy that on May 28, during the celebration of the First Republic Day, police prevented Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II from entering the memorial at Sardarapat. However, the Catholicos managed to breach the police barrier and reach the memorial to offer a prayer to God.

This incident sparked broad public discussion, leading to condemnatory statements from both the Mother See and various clergy and individuals, including Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia, Archpriest Zakaria Baghumyan, Director of the Christian Education Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, among others.