Armenian society must express protest over arrest of priests – Bogdan Bezpalko

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko commented on the arrests of priests in Armenia.

“It’s clear that Pashinyan’s confrontation with the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church continues, and he’s taking, perhaps not so much repressive as preventative measures of a repressive nature to avoid any further confrontation. But this is nothing new. The problem is that Armenian society itself must respond first and foremost. The Armenian Apostolic Church is Armenia’s heritage—essentially an ethnic church, the Church of the Armenian people. If the public fails to react, then Pashinyan may well believe that the Armenian Apostolic Church doesn’t enjoy popular support and that he, therefore, can continue to use a variety of tools, including repressive ones, in this standoff,” the political scientist said.

According to the expert, Armenian society must voice its opposition to Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Church; otherwise, he will likely escalate his repressive actions.

“The people must express their protest and outrage—whether through social media, public demonstrations, or pickets. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Pashinyan will change or reverse his policies, but if society doesn’t react, then we can be sure that, without resistance, he will continue, intensify, and expand these measures,” Bezpalko said.