Pashinyan’s former ally sues Armenian government over removal of Mount Ararat from border stamps

By Siranush Adamyan

Edmon Marukyan, a former ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and ex-ambassador-at-large in his government from 2022 to 2024, has filed a lawsuit against the Armenian government, seeking to annul its decision to remove the image of Mount Ararat from state border stamps. Marukyan, who heads the opposition Bright Armenia party, argues that the move violates Armenia’s Constitution and the Law on the Coat of Arms.

Under a government decision adopted on September 11, the new border-crossing stamps to be used from November 1 will no longer feature Mount Ararat. Prime Minister Pashinyan said in a YouTube address that Marukyan had also requested a “temporary injunction” to suspend the measure until the court reviews its legality.

Marukyan insists the decision contradicts constitutional provisions, citing Article 21 of the Constitution, which defines Armenia’s coat of arms as featuring “Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark and the emblems of the four kingdoms of historical Armenia,” supported by an eagle and a lion.

He accused the government of being “ashamed” to explain the true reason behind the removal, claiming that several senior officials—including Pashinyan and Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan—have questioned the “legitimacy” of Mount Ararat as a national symbol.

Defending the move, Pashinyan said on September 18 that Armenia must base its state symbols and strategy on “internationally recognized borders” to ensure “the endurance of the Armenian state.” Grigoryan similarly argued that official symbols “should not evoke emotions in neighboring countries.”

Marukyan countered that while Pashinyan denied any external pressure, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had previously stated that Armenia should stop using Mount Ararat in its national emblem. “If we allow it to be removed from the border stamps, the same logic could later apply to the coat of arms,” Marukyan warned. “Removing it would require changing the Constitution and the law—but are we, as citizens, ready to tolerate this?”