Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Issues Public Apology for Insulting Church and Opposition

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has issued a public apology for insulting the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the opposition, following a ruling by the Corruption Prevention Commission. Notably, the apology was directed towards the public rather than the two groups directly. The Commission concluded that Pashinyan had violated the code of conduct for officials through his statements.

The proceedings against Pashinyan were initiated due to two specific statements he made in May – one online and one at the Armenian Parliament.

The first incident occurred on 7 May during a heated discussion at the Armenian Parliament. Pashinyan reportedly lost his temper after being accused of lacking the political will to hold his team accountable for corruption reports. In response, he suggested that if media reports were to be believed, 70% of the opposition would end up in prison. Pashinyan stated, "What are you even doing sitting in this hall? If I were to act based on press publications, I’d have to drag all of you and throw you into the basement of the National Security Service (NSS)". Additionally, he used the term "hambal," an insult equivalent to "idiot," to refer to his opponents. The Corruption Prevention Commission ruled on 13 August that the use of the word "hambal" violated the code of conduct. In his response to the commission, Pashinyan expressed regret, clarifying that his remarks were made solely within the context of a political debate and were not intended as personal insults or threats. He also noted that "the current political culture in Armenia does not allow us to exclude such cases".

The second contentious statement was made on 30 May, amidst an ongoing confrontation between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Relations between Pashinyan and the Church have significantly deteriorated, particularly since Armenia's defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. On this occasion, Pashinyan posted on social media, accusing an unnamed high-ranking clergyman of "banging [his] uncle’s wife". This language, coming from a high-ranking official, caught Armenian society by surprise and sparked widespread criticism. The commission's ruling, published on 14 August, analysed Pashinyan's vocabulary, concluding that while the statement was a response to criticism and related to a public interest issue, its chosen wording carried a "rude and improper tone".

Pashinyan published his apology on a Sunday, noting on social media that despite the commission's ruling and his apology, he did not "entirely agree with some of the assessments of the decisions". He underscored that his apology was solely regarding the insults. Furthermore, Pashinyan affirmed that his goal of "re-establishing the political, spiritual, and moral principles" and his commitment to achieving this with the people's support "are unwavering," stressing its "vital necessity for the political, legal, and spiritual security" of Armenia.