Summary
A conflict between Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and top Christian church leaders is becoming more intense, causing division in the country. The dispute centers around accusations of a coup plot involving church officials, amid ongoing tensions from the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Key Facts
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and church leaders in Armenia are in a serious conflict.
- Pashinyan claimed on Facebook that the church's headquarters were controlled by a negative group and needed to be "liberated."
- On June 27, church bells sounded an alarm when a top cleric was detained for allegedly planning a coup.
- The church's head, Karekin II, has been publicly arguing with Pashinyan for months.
- Observers say the conflict is more personal than a clash between government and the whole church.
- The Armenian Apostolic Church has played a role in maintaining Armenian identity under various foreign rulers.
- The conflict traces back to tensions after the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region with historical conflicts.
- Pashinyan led protests in 2018 against the political elite tied to Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to his rise as prime minister.
