Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church to unite around the demand to replace Catholicos Garegin II (Ktrich Nersisyan).

According to Pashinyan, he has evidence that the Catholicos violated his vow of celibacy and that he has a child.

“According to this, according to canon law, Garegin II could not be a bishop, archbishop, be elected and cannot be Catholicos. He must vacate the Patriarchal residence,” the prime minister wrote on his Telegram channel.

Pashinyan recently reported that Russia ordered the Armenian Apostolic Church to fight the authorities. According to the local publication Hraparak, the Armenian leader said that, on Moscow’s instructions, members of the clergy must make anti-government statements.

Earlier, Yerevan called for a criminal case to be opened against Pashinyan for insulting the church. The initiative group "Ayakve" addressed the Prosecutor General with this message. According to the statement, the actions of the Prime Minister "are proportionate to the state's interference in the internal affairs of the church," and the Constitution of Armenia guarantees that "the state does not interfere in the affairs of the church or any other religious organization."