Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, a vocal critic of the Armenian government’s decision to cede territory to Azerbaijan, has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The archbishop’s demand came during a massive protest in Yerevan’s Republic Square, which marked the largest anti-government demonstration in Armenia in recent years. The rally on Thursday followed a march that started five days earlier from Kirants, a village in Tavush province directly affected by the proposed territorial concessions.
The government’s plan involves handing over parts of Tavush province, including Kirants and three other villages, to Azerbaijan as part of a border demarcation agreement. This proposal has met with strong opposition from the local residents, who argue that it would isolate their communities and expose them to potential Azerbaijani aggression.
During his speech, Archbishop Galstanian, who leads the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, slammed the government’s approach as “illegal and unilateral.” He accused Prime Minister Pashinyan of dishonesty, intimidation, and threatening the local communities. “We have come here to demand answers for those threats,” Galstanian told the gathered crowd.
The archbishop also criticized the government for its overall incompetence, holding it responsible for Azerbaijan’s recent gains in Nagorno-Karabakh. He issued a one-hour ultimatum for Pashinyan to resign and expressed his willingness to negotiate the conditions of the resignation directly with the prime minister.
Following Pashinyan’s failure to respond, Galstanian called for a parliamentary vote of no confidence and met with representatives from two opposition groups in parliament, who agreed to initiate a motion of censure against the prime minister in the near future.
In addition to political maneuvers, Galstanian announced that starting Friday, the protest movement would begin “peaceful actions of civil disobedience” both in and around Yerevan. He committed to spending the night in Republic Square to continue the protest.
The protest has not gone without warnings from Armenia’s police and National Security Service, who cautioned against actions that could disturb public order. Meanwhile, Pashinyan has accused the opposition, including the archbishop, of attempting to incite a new conflict with Azerbaijan to overthrow his government. He argued that halting the land handover would lead to an invasion by Azerbaijan.
Despite these accusations, Galstanian and the opposition have rejected Pashinyan’s claims, accusing him of encouraging Azerbaijan to make further territorial demands and use force. While the country’s main opposition forces support the Tavush protests, they are not directly involved in Galstanian’s campaign.
