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India Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Armenian PM offers to drop his pants in front of head of church amid coup buzz
Armenia is seeing a political confrontation unheard of, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reportedly offering to "expose himself" before the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church to prove his Christian faith by dropping his trousers and showing that he is uncircumcised. The PM's retort came amid accusations of a coup plot involving powerful senior clergy is the latest clash between Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has long opposed the Armenian PM's policies, particularly his peace negotiations with Azerbaijan following Armenia's military defeats in 2020 and 2023. Senior clerics have repeatedly called for Pashniyan's resignation, calling him a traitor for conceding territory to Azerbaijan after Armenia's defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the 2023 collapse of Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh war erupted due to ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region demanding independence with Armenia's support. Significant territories in the region were conceded to Azerbaijan, which was militarily aided by Turkey. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's 2023 military offensive forced the surrender of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian forces, triggering the total depopulation of the region as over 1,00,000 ethnic Armenians fled their ancestral church viewed these defeats as humiliating and the conceding of territories in 2020 as a historic conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has religious undertones too, and many see it as a Christians versus Muslims the developments come just a year before parliamentary elections in Armenia in June 2026, when Pashniyan is under extreme political pressure over his peace deal with Azerbaijan, which is quite unpopular among hardliners, and the Church's influence could sway public pants-dropping remark, made during a heated parliamentary session, came as authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan last week. Galstanyan has been a vocal critic of Pashinyan. His shocking response came after a spokesperson for the church said,"I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism, and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision".Responding to this, PM Pashinyan said, "I am ready to accept Ktrich Nersisyan and his spokesman and prove otherwise".News Agency Reuters reported that Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was also detained last week. Both Galstanyan and Karapetyan were accused of orchestrating a violent attempt to overthrow the Armenian government of Prime Minister Church denounced the detentions as politically motivated, while Pashinyan's government insisted it had thwarted a "large and sinister plan" by a "criminal-oligarchic clergy" to seize power in Investigative Committee claims that Galstanyan and 15 others had recruited 1,000 people, including ex-soldiers and police personnel, to block roads, incite violence, and paralyse the government. Authorities allege they stockpiled weapons and planned to form assault groups for mass who led major anti-government protests in 2023, was ordered to two months of pre-trial detention on charges of terrorism and overthrowing the government. His lawyers dismissed the case as "political persecution".Meanwhile, Karapetyan, a billionaire and a major church benefactor, was detained after vowing to intervene in the government's "campaign against the church". PM Pashinyan's spokesperson accused the billionaire of following a "classic manual from the north", a veiled reference to Russia. Hours later, Pashinyan announced plans to nationalise Karapetyan's Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA).Notably, the Armenian Church enjoys strong ties to Russia, and Pashinyan has increasingly accused Moscow of backing his opponents, including former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, who were implicated in the alleged coup warn the standoff risks further destabilisation, especially if Russia intensifies its spilled into the streets when security forces attempted to detain Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, triggering scuffles outside Armenia's holiest cathedral. The Church condemned the confrontation as a "day of national shame".Meanwhile, Russia has stepped in to defend Karapetyan, with its foreign ministry vowing to protect the rights of the "Russian national". Billboards supporting the oligarch appeared in Moscow, signalling Kremlin-aligned opposition to now, Pashinyan appears defiant, but his "challenge to the Catholicos" shows just how personal and volatile this conflict has become.- EndsTrending Reel
Euronews
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Armenian PM says he is not circumcised in ongoing duel with church
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has implied he is willing to have his penis examined to settle an argument that he is uncircumcised amid an ongoing dispute with the head of the country's main church. Pashinyan made the proposal in response to Father Zareh Ashuryan, the spokesperson for the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, who implied that the head of government was circumcised, therefore not a Christian. "I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision," Father Ashuryan said. Pashinyan responded in a post on Facebook, saying he was ready to accept the challenge and prove he had nothing to do with being circumcised, a religious practice not common among Christians in the country. "Let him finally answer the question: did he break the covenant of partisanship or not? Does he have a child or not?" Pashinyan asked in his post, repeating a claim he had made in June in which he accused Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and fathering a child. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's "spiritual unity" but did not address the claim about the child. Claims of a coup plot This isn't the first time this week that Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church have gone head to head. On Wednesday, authorities arrested a prominent cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 14 others, charging them with orchestrating an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee said in a statement it had filed criminal charges against the group, which they claim had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power." Galastanyan's lawyer described the charges as "fiction". In total, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot, but only Galastanyan was named publicly. The Investigative Committee said it carried out over 90 searches and recovered evidence that included firearms and ammunition. In a post on Telegram, Pashinyan wrote that authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" aimed at taking control of Armenia. Disclaimer: This article has been updated with further clarifications provided to Euronews by the Office of the Armenian Prime Minister.
West Australian
26-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan offers to show head of Church, Karekin II, his penis to prove point
A world leader has made a highly unorthodox offer to prove a point — freeing his manhood from his pants in front of the Church. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the unusual gesture to Karekin II after a priest accused him of being circumcised. Father Zareh Ashuryan accused Mr Pashinyan of being circumcised in a Facebook post on Monday, comparing him to Judas and implying that he was not Christian. 'I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision,' he wrote. Mr Pashinyan responded in a social media post on Tuesday, addressing Karekin II by his birth name and saying he was 'ready to accept Ktrij Nersisyan and his spokesperson (Father Ashuryan) and prove the opposite' about being circumcised. It is the latest salvo in the stoush between the Armenian Government and the country's Church. Tensions reached a high in May when Mr Pashinyan accused of Karekin II of having a child and claimed that churches had become 'storerooms' and clergymen were breaking their vows of celibacy. As well as offering to prove he was circumcised by showing his penis, Mr Pashinyan on Tuesday also reiterated his question to Karekin II: 'And let him finally answer the question of whether he has broken his vow of celibacy or not. Does he have a child or not?'
Metro
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Armenia's prime minister offers to show his penis to the head of the church
The prime minister of Armenia has vowed to prove his faith by dropping his trousers to the head of the church. Nikol Pashinyan was challenged to 'prove' his member is uncircumcised in a bitter feud played out over social media. An Armenian priest accused Pashinyan of being snipped on Monday, implying he was not Christian in the deeply religious west Asian country. The priest, Father Zareh Ashuryan, said: 'I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism, and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision'. This enraged the country's leader, who shot back with a fiery Facebook post on Tuesday, suggesting he'd be willing to show his penis to the Church's supreme leader Karekin II. He addressed Karekin II by his birth name Ktrij Nersisyan, saying he was 'ready to accept Ktrij Nersisyan and his spokesperson [father Ashuryan] and prove the opposite' about being circumcised. Pashinyan also shot back at the church's leader, asking: 'And let him finally answer the question of whether he has broken his vow of celibacy or not. Does he have a child or not?' The extraordinary war of words comes as tensions rocket between Armenia's PM and the powerful clergy. In late May, Pashinyan claimed that churches had become 'storerooms' and that priests were breaking their celibacy vows, according to OC Media. The Armenian Church responded, saying Pashinyan's language was 'unbecoming of a statesman'. They added: 'Political motives drive this anti-Church and represent an attempt to erode the standing of the Armenian Church and its clergy.' On Wednesday, Pashinyan posted saying law enforcement had prevented a large and sinister plan by the 'criminal oligarchic clergy' to 'destabilise the Republic'. Pashinyan has been Prime Minister of Armenia since 2018 as head of the Civil Contract party. The party gained over 50% of the vote in 2021 election but faced allegations of fraud from the opposition. Karekin II served as a bishop and Archbishop before being elected the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1999. check our news page.
Metro
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Armenian PM make bizarre vow to 'prove' something about his penis
The prime minister of Armenia has vowed to prove his faith by dropping his trousers to the head of the church. Nikol Pashinyan was challenged to 'prove' his member is uncircumcised in a bitter feud played out over social media. An Armenian priest accused Pashinyan of being snipped on Monday, implying he was not Christian in the deeply religious west Asian country. The priest, Father Zareh Ashuryan, said: 'I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism, and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision'. This enraged the country's leader, who shot back with a fiery Facebook post on Tuesday, suggesting he'd be willing to show his penis to the Church's supreme leader Karekin II. He addressed Karekin II by his birth name Ktrij Nersisyan, saying he was 'ready to accept Ktrij Nersisyan and his spokesperson [father Ashuryan] and prove the opposite' about being circumcised. Pashinyan also shot back at the church's leader, asking: 'And let him finally answer the question of whether he has broken his vow of celibacy or not. Does he have a child or not?' The extraordinary war of words comes as tensions rocket between Armenia's PM and the powerful clergy. In late May, Pashinyan claimed that churches had become 'storerooms' and that priests were breaking their celibacy vows, according to OC Media. The Armenian Church responded, saying Pashinyan's language was 'unbecoming of a statesman'. They added: 'Political motives drive this anti-Church and represent an attempt to erode the standing of the Armenian Church and its clergy.' More Trending On Wednesday, Pashinyan posted saying law enforcement had prevented a large and sinister plan by the 'criminal oligarchic clergy' to 'destabilise the Republic'. Pashinyan has been Prime Minister of Armenia since 2018 as head of the Civil Contract party. The party gained over 50% of the vote in 2021 election but faced allegations of fraud from the opposition. Karekin II served as a bishop and Archbishop before being elected the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1999. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Burglar' gets stuck in chimney trying to rescue his trapped dog MORE: Inside New York's 'Pigeon Fest' where impersonators battle for title MORE: Man 'urinates on $10,000 worth of Spam and sausages forcing them to be tossed'
