Ter-Petrosyan Urges Boycott of Pashinyan's Etchmiadzin Rally

Dear compatriots, I call on you under no circumstances to participate in the prime minister's planned rally in Etchmiadzin. Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, wrote about this.

"Warning No. 2

The Pasha of Armenia, Nikolay, has once again boasted that he will not give up the threat of holding a large rally in Etchmiadzin. Last time, after my letter to him, he silently abandoned the idea of holding a large rally in the central square of Etchmiadzin on the Vardavar holiday. Let me remind you of the content of that letter: "Dear Mr. Prime Minister, before it is too late, cancel your decision to hold a rally in Vagharshapat and immediately release the political prisoners, first of all, Archbishops Bagrat and Mikael and Samvel Karapetyan. I am sure that this step will be viewed by both our people and the international community not as a sign of weakness, but as a manifestation of prudence worthy of a statesman. Otherwise, Mr. Prime Minister, you will be the sole person responsible for possible clashes and bloodshed, earning the immortal fame of Father Gapon. Finally, dear compatriots, I call on you under no circumstances to participate in the prime minister's planned rally in order to avoid its unpredictable consequences. Do not forget that the authorities are created not to oppress and endanger you, but to ensure the well-being and security of your families" (iLur.am, 23.07.2025).

Judging by the press reactions, that prevented the inevitable clash and bloodshed, which would in no way be forgiven of the radiant His Excellency. However, Nikol would not be Nikol if he swallowed that humiliation and did not try, as is his nature, to threaten the Mother See again, not realizing at all that with that step he is throwing down the gauntlet to the entire Armenian people, and also not realizing at all that he is only the prime minister of Armenia and not of all Armenians. Now let's see what exactly he said at the session of the National Assembly on September 10 of this year:

"I have announced that I envision the culmination as a large spiritual event in the central square of Etchmiadzin. We are now discussing the dates, organizational, and content issues. There is an important circumstance here, that it must have a spiritual content. Recently, I have been spending most of my time on this, presenting that the purpose of this process is not intrigue, not solving a personnel issue, but the purpose is exclusively spiritual, the spiritual renewal of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. That culmination will not be political, revolutionary, it will be an event based exclusively on spiritual, Christian values. There will be no political calls, speeches there, there will be speeches of a spiritual content. There will be no compromise, it is excluded, the Valiant Nersisyan must go. The sooner he goes, the better, nothing will help, nothing will save him" (aravot.am, 10.09.2025).

Finally, I consider it necessary to repeat the following call from my quoted letter: "Dear compatriots, I call on you under no circumstances to participate in the prime minister's planned rally in order to avoid its unpredictable consequences. Do not forget that the authorities are created not to oppress and endanger you, but to ensure the well-being and security of your families," wrote Levon Ter-Petrosyan.