In bitter duel with Armenian church, PM Pashinyan offers to show he is not circumcised

By&nbspEuronews

Published connected 26/06/2025 - 13:31 GMT+2•Updated 19:23

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has implied he is consenting to person his penis examined to settee an statement that he is uncircumcised amid an ongoing conflict pinch nan caput of nan country's main church.

Pashinyan made nan connection successful consequence to Father Zareh Ashuryan, nan spokesperson for nan Patriarch of nan Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, who implied that nan caput of authorities was circumcised, truthful not a Christian.

"I judge that our Apostolic Holy Church must instantly cleanse itself of those mendacious 'believers' who are traitors to nan nation, person dishonoured nan representation of their ancestors, surgery nan vow of baptism and replaced nan seal of nan Holy Cross pinch nan motion of circumcision," Father Ashuryan said.

Pashinyan responded successful a station connected Facebook, saying he was fresh to judge nan situation and beryllium he had thing to do pinch being circumcised, a belief believe not communal among Christians successful nan country.

"Let him yet reply nan question: did he break nan covenant of partisanship aliases not? Does he person a kid aliases not?" Pashinyan asked successful his post, repeating a declare he had made successful June successful which he accused Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child.

The religion released a connection astatine nan clip accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia’s "spiritual unity" but did not reside nan declare astir nan child.

Claims of a coup plot

This isn't nan first clip this week that Pashinyan and nan Armenian Apostolic Church person gone caput to head.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested a salient cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along pinch 14 others, charging them with orchestrating an alleged crippled to overthrow nan government.

Armenia's Investigative Committee said successful a connection it had revenge criminal charges against nan group, which they declare had "acquired nan intends and devices basal to perpetrate a violent onslaught and prehend power."

Galastanyan’s lawyer described nan charges arsenic "fiction".

In total, 14 individuals were arrested successful relationship pinch nan alleged coup plot, but only Galastanyan was named publicly.

The Investigative Committee said it carried retired complete 90 searches and recovered grounds that included firearms and ammunition.

In a station connected Telegram, Pashinyan wrote that authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister scheme by nan 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" aimed astatine taking power of Armenia.

Disclaimer: This article has been updated pinch further clarifications provided to Euronews by nan Office of nan Armenian Prime Minister.