Ethics probe launched over PM's controversial church remarks

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Anti-Corruption Commission of Armenia has initiated proceedings concerning Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Facebook post referencing a cleric's "aunt-in-law." Acting Chair Mariam Galstyan confirmed this during a conversation with journalists at the National Assembly, as reported by Panorama.am .

"We launched proceedings on our own initiative on the morning of May 30," Galstyan stated.

She clarified that the commission had already initiated the case independently before receiving a formal complaint from attorney Ara Zohrabyan. Other issues raised in Zohrabyan's complaint are still under review, with a decision expected by Monday.

Previously, attorney Ara Zohrabyan announced that he had filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission regarding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's alleged breach of conduct rules.

When asked about the potential outcomes of the proceedings, such as whether Pashinyan's use of inappropriate language would lead to any consequences, Galstyan explained that the commission first determines whether to initiate proceedings. If proceedings are initiated, the commission issues one of two conclusions: either a violation of conduct rules is present or absent. In cases involving political officeholders, any violation results in public accountability, meaning the commission publishes its findings, and the official must publicly address the violation.

Galstyan added that if elements of a potential crime are identified during the proceedings, the commission refers the matter to the appropriate authorities. However, in cases solely involving conduct rule violations, the commission determines whether a breach occurred or not.

Regarding the frequency of officials using terms like "hamal" (a derogatory term), Galstyan noted that there is no set threshold. "We don't have a specific number. Each case is examined individually. Whenever there are grounds for initiating separate proceedings or identifying apparent violations, we proceed accordingly," she said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously responded to criticism from clergy—who objected to his comparison of churches to storage rooms during a government meeting—by posting derogatory remarks on Facebook. These posts included statements like "Bishop, keep banging your uncle's wife.” Pashinyan also asserted that the state should play a central role in the selection process of the Catholicos of All Armenians. In another post, he questioned whether Catholicos Karekin II had upheld his vow of celibacy.

In one of his posts, the Prime Minister wrote: "If it turns out that Karekin II has indeed broken his vow of celibacy and has a child, he cannot be the Catholicos of All Armenians, because from the moment this fact emerged, he could no longer be a celibate priest."

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin responded, stating that "such condemnable actions serve the interests of external anti-Armenian forces, aligning with slander and false accusations directed at the Armenian people and the Armenian Church by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine."