Ter-Petrosyan urges cancellation of Etchmiadzin rally, release of key detainees

By Lia Avagyan

Armenia’s first president and leader of the Armenian National Congress party, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, has called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to cancel a planned public gathering in Etchmiadzin and release several high-profile detainees—including jailed bishops and tycoon Samvel Karapetyan—whom he explicitly labeled “political prisoners.” The strongly worded statement urged de-escalation amid mounting political and religious tensions.

In a declaration published on ilur.am on Tuesday, Ter-Petrosyan denounced Pashinyan’s initiative to hold what the prime minister dubbed a “Great Spiritual Gathering” near the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He described the planned rally as a “calculated provocation” aimed at “crushing the Church through the crowd” and warned it could ignite serious unrest.

“He”—referring to Pashinyan—“knows very well that the followers of the Church far outnumber his supporters,” the former president wrote. “But his aim is precisely to destroy that strength—perhaps to earn the glory of Nero.”

Ter-Petrosyan, who led Armenia from 1990 to 1998, stressed that internal political stability is vital for national survival, particularly amid external threats. He called on both government and opposition forces to halt inflammatory rhetoric and pursue compromise—even on divisive issues. “If internal stability is ensured, the threats conditioned by external factors will immediately diminish,” he said.

He added that the only viable path to defusing the crisis was to cancel the Etchmiadzin rally and release the detainees, “first and foremost Bishops Bagrat and Mikayel and Samvel Karapetyan.” Such a move, Ter-Petrosyan argued, would enhance rather than damage Pashinyan’s public image and demonstrate leadership worthy of national and international respect.

Church-state showdown intensifies

Ter-Petrosyan’s appeal comes as Armenia's Prime Minister Pashinyan intensifies his attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church, escalating tensions between the government and the country’s spiritual leadership. On June 17, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan publicly defended Catholicos Karekin II against Pashinyan’s efforts to unseat him. The following day, Karapetyan was arrested and charged with calling for regime change. Authorities then launched a fast-tracked process to nationalize the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA), Karapetyan’s largest asset in Armenia.

In late June, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan of the Shirak Diocese and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan of the Tavush Diocese were also detained, amplifying concerns of a politically motivated campaign targeting the Church’s leadership.

On July 21, Pashinyan reaffirmed his plans to stage a mass rally in Etchmiadzin, writing on Facebook: “Live with prayer, fasting, and prepare for the Great Spiritual Gathering at the central square of Etchmiadzin.”

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin condemned the planned event as an “incitement to violence” and “a direct interference in the life and autonomy of the Armenian Church,” urging the authorities to cancel what it described as an illegal and provocative act.