The Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians May Become the Main Target of This Process - Surenyants

The statement by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding the "liberation of Vaharan" was unconstitutional at the moment it was made, as Article 17 of the Constitution distinctly separates the state from the church. This was written by political analyst Suren Surenyants.

"The head of the executive cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the church; to initiate such a proposal, he must first resign from his position. Initially, the government attempted to implement its anti-church agenda through public support by means of a 'spiritual gathering.' However, the society's rejection forced them to change tactics, moving to pressure and legal persecution. Today, three Bishops are in custody, and the case initiated based on the conversation between Archbishop Nathan and Father Aghan shows that the authorities are even trying to represent internal church disciplinary processes as criminal offenses. This is not a manifestation of the rule of law, but rather a political manipulation of it.

From the recording published in the pro-government media and the logic of the proceedings, it becomes clear what the next step will be: the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians could become the main target of this process, either through the threat of charges (imprisonment) or through coercion to resign. All of this is aimed at weakening the institutional influence of the Armenian Apostolic Church and bringing the spiritual institution under political control. If this process is not halted through broad political and social consolidation, it could become a key precedent for the establishment of an authoritarian system, calling into question the legitimacy of state institutions' actions.

It is undeniable that Pashinyan's unconstitutional undertaking aims to create a political environment that will turn the parliamentary elections next year into a formal mechanism for the reproduction of power," the political analyst wrote.