Three individuals have been arrested following an incident at Yerevan’s St. Anna Church where a man attempted to strike Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as he exited a sermon on 29 March, 2026. The Investigative Committee reports the suspects face charges of hooliganism and interfering with an official’s political activities.
If convicted, they could receive up to five years imprisonment. Pashinyan was present at the church as part of his Civil Contract party’s pre-election campaign during Palm Sunday. Guards cleared a path for him as he left, and later, while the liturgy continued, he exited the crowd with bodyguards.
A young man reportedly expressed a desire to stand in the middle before attempting to physically contact Pashinyan. Tension escalated, prompting Pashinyan to order silence. Two of the arrested individuals were twin brothers, David and Mikael Minasyans, both 18-year-old students.
The third, Gevorg Gevorgyan, an opposition activist, was observed staring at Pashinyan before the incident. Government-affiliated media circulated images of Gevorgyan alongside former President Serzh Sargsyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who spearheaded opposition movements in 2024. The incident, captured on Facebook Live, sparked mixed reactions.
Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan criticized the violence, while also questioning Pashinyan’s visit to the crowded church. Pashinyan’s Chief of Staff, Arayik Harutyunyan, accused Catholicos Karekin II of turning the church into a political gathering and sought to remove him from power. Amidst escalating tensions between the church and the government, political analysts offered differing perspectives.
Hakob Badalyan described Pashinyan’s entry into the church as provocative, citing the bodyguards’ actions and the crowded setting. Hakob Karapetyan labeled Pashinyan an “ordinary provocateur,” noting his deliberate actions in a crowded church. This follows previous controversies, including Pashinyan’s earlier remarks about Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, for which he later apologized.
The situation continues to develop as Armenia prepares for parliamentary elections in 2026.
Topics: #church #three #pashinyan
