Armenian PM Pashinyan targeted in church assault attempt, suspects detained

JAM News
Mar 30 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

All of Armenia is discussing an incident at Saint Anna Church, where on Sunday a parishioner attempted to strike Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The Investigative Committee of Armenia says three people have been detained.

Most residents and members of the expert community have condemned such behaviour towards the country’s leader. However, some argue that the PM “provoked” the incident. In particular, critics point to the fact that Pashinyan, accompanied by a group of bodyguards, entered the church while it was filled with worshippers and attempted to move toward the altar during the service.

However, the majority of social media users and analysts say such behaviour towards the country’s leader should receive an appropriate response from law enforcement authorities. Otherwise, they warn, democracy in Armenia itself could be put at risk.

Details of the incident and expert commentary follow.


  • Former ruling party MP becomes Constitutional Court judge in Armenia, NGOs warn of risks
  • ‘Opposition forces are parties of war,’ says Armenia’s parliament speaker
  • ‘Stigmatising refugees is unacceptable’: Pashinyan refers to Karabakh Armenians as ‘fleeing people’

“Don’t look at me like that”: what happened in the church

On 29 May, the Armenian Apostolic Church marked one of its most widely celebrated holidays — Palm Sunday. Nikol Pashinyan and his team, as in recent weekends, were conducting an internal party campaign in Yerevan. However, after the church service had already begun, the prime minister and those accompanying him unexpectedly entered the crowded Saint Anna Church.

Security officers cleared a path for Pashinyan as he moved toward the altar and later toward the exit, attempting to make their way through the crowd. Before launching his party campaign and weekly meetings with residents of the regions and the capital, the prime minister used to attend different churches every Sunday and would typically remain until the end of the service. This time, however, he arrived later and decided to leave early.

As Pashinyan was leaving the church, one of the parishioners became angered when security officers tried to move him aside. He said he wanted to remain where he was standing.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the young man told the prime minister before attempting to strike him.

Pashinyan remained calm and called on his bodyguards to keep calm as well.

The young man was detained. Initially, police reported that two people had been taken into custody. Later, the Investigative Committee of Armenia said that three individuals had been detained: Gevorg Gevorgyan, as well as brothers David Minasyan and Mikael Minasyan.

The committee said a criminal case had been opened under two articles: hooliganism and interference with the lawful official and political activities of a public official.

Political analyst Robert Ghevondyan said:

“Freedom of speech is one of the most important conditions of democracy, but it is not the only one. Equally important are the inviolability of personal space and protection from violence for one’s views. The guarantor of these principles is the state.

Therefore, if the people detained the previous day [for insulting parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan] and those detained today for attempting violence against senior state officials are released in two or three days, this will mean that the authorities are unable to protect even their own freedom of speech and opinion from violence, let alone that of other citizens.

Consequently, if these individuals are released from responsibility on bail, surety, or by any other means, it will mean that there is no democracy in Armenia.”

Political analyst and international relations expert Sossi Tatikyan said:

“It is strange to watch how some opposition figures and even analysts or political scientists attempt to justify an attempt at physical violence against the leader of Armenia and consider the arrest of the instigator a violation of democracy.

Moreover, this is being done by representatives of political forces that initiated a culture of violence in Armenia.

Do you know how any democratic country would respond to such an act against the head of state?

We are not talking about throwing a tomato — something that has happened more than once in democratic countries and could be classified as a form of protest or hooliganism — but about a real attempt at violence. Not to mention what would happen in a non-democratic country.

At the same time, I have noticed that some of the prime minister’s fiercest critics have condemned the attempt at violence against him, which is commendable.”

Political analyst Hakob Badalyan said:

“Entering a crowded church accompanied by bodyguards… Why? To show that you are a believer? Or simply for publicity? If you have entered a church, why not remain near the entrance rather than trying to move toward the altar in a packed church accompanied by bodyguards and others, creating inconvenience and effectively disrupting the service?

In essence, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today made what could be described as a ‘provocative visit’ to Saint Anna Church, where a service marking Palm Sunday was taking place.

Simple logic suggests that if the prime minister’s aim in coming to the church had been to attend the service, he could have entered and quietly stood near the entrance without drawing unnecessary attention or causing inconvenience to those gathered.

Instead, he entered the church and moved forward with a large group. The bodyguards, of course, were doing their job — they had to ensure as much distance as possible between Pashinyan and the people around him. That is their function and a strict professional protocol. Precisely for that reason, the prime minister should have refrained from taking this step.

That is why his action is difficult to assess as anything other than provocative. And the provocation occurred: a young man attending the service could not hold back, spoke out, and the incident followed.”

Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly Meets Ambassador of Qatar

Qatar News Agency
Mar 30 2026

Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly Meets Ambassador of Qatar

Yerevan, March 30 (QNA) – HE Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan met with HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Armenia Mansour bin Abdulla Al Sulaitin.

The meeting reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries. (QNA)

UN Human Rights Council unanimously adopts Armenia’s Genocide Prevention Resol

Public Radio of Armenia
Mar 30 2026

On March 30, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a resolution titled “Prevention of Genocide,” presented by the Republic of Armenia during its 61st session.

The biennial resolution is grounded in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and plays a significant role in translating the Convention’s provisions into the operational framework of United Nations policies.

The resolution aims to advance the concept of early warning in genocide prevention and to define a framework of risk factors, including hate speech, discrimination, and impunity. It also underscores the importance of timely response, which can be critical in preventing the escalation of violence.

By placing genocide prevention firmly on the international agenda, the resolution highlights the issue as a key priority in contemporary diplomacy. It contributes to strengthening international justice mechanisms and addresses emerging global developments and challenges that require increased attention.

This year’s resolution also proposes reinforcing the mandate for genocide prevention within the context of the “UN80” reform process, while drawing attention to the risks posed by algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence. It warns that such technologies may facilitate the spread of disinformation and hate, potentially undermining human rights and distorting information flows.

In addition, the resolution supports efforts toward the universal ratification of the Genocide Convention, encouraging states that have not yet joined to do so without delay.

As in previous years, Armenia’s resolution has garnered broad support from UN member states across all regional groups. This is reflected in the high number of co-sponsors, which had already reached around sixty at the time of adoption.

The resolution reaffirms Armenia’s call on the international community to unite in preventing the crime of genocide worldwide.

Note: A previous resolution on the same topic, also introduced by Armenia, was unanimously adopted on April 3, 2024, during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council.


Strong Armenia rejects defeatist agenda and presents 6-point security plan: St

Aysor, Armenia
March 30 2026

The Strong Armenia party has rejected a defeatist agenda and presented a six-point security plan.

The party has signed memoranda of understanding with Greek and Dutch companies aimed at border automation and the professional training of soldiers.

“We are beginning work toward a lasting peace with the best security team in Armenia,” the news release said.

Gevorg Papoyan published inflated data on the export of goods of Armenian orig

Aysor, Armenia
March 30 2026

Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan announced a significant increase in the export of goods of Armenian origin, but the study of the data shows a different picture. A significant part of that growth was formed at the expense of jewelry, which is highly controversial to present as a product of Armenian origin. In that list we also see mobile phones, in the event that there is no production of phones in Armenia. All this exaggerates the indicators of products of Armenian origin and creates a misleading picture of the state of the economy, “Hetq” writes.

On February 5, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan posted on his Facebook page reported in a post that in 2025, about 4.5 billion dollars worth of products of Armenian origin were exported from Armenia. Compared to 2024, it increased by around 10%, and compared to 2021, by 72%.

The methodology of calculating the export of products of Armenian origin is already controversial (which we will mention below), but we decided to get more detailed information from the Ministry of Economy about what products we are talking about.

It turns out that in 2025, about 4.Of the 5 billion dollars of “Armenian origin” products, 1 billion dollars are only jewelry.

The problem is that it is too big a volume for Armenia and it is highly doubtful whether there are enough factories and specialists in Armenia to produce so many products.

After the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, a large amount of Russian gold is being re-exported through Armenia, including in the form of jewelry. The fact that it is a re-export is proven by the fact that after 2022, the gold imported from Russia to Armenia has increased sharply, and the export of gold and jewelry from Armenia to the UAE and Hong Kong has also increased sharply.

For example, in 2021, with which Papoyan also compares, only $75 million worth of jewelry was exported from Armenia, according to the Statistical Committee. Therefore, how likely is such a “miracle” in Armenia’s jewelry industry that after four years the export of “local” jewelry will exceed 1 billion dollars?

“Hetq” has written about it several times.

  • Seychelles, Cyprus, Russia. The origin of jewelry “produced” and exported in Armenia
  • Gold streams. Russian gold worth billions of dollars is exported from Armenia

By the way, as a result of this dubious growth of the jewelry industry, the image of the industry has also been artificially inflated.

  • The factory connected to Sukiasyans has changed its mind: it is not engaged in jewelry, but in the production of base metals

In 2025, most of the “jewelry” was exported to the United Arab Emirates, the rest mainly to Hong Kong.

This directly shows that Gevorg Papoyan published inflated data on the export of goods of Armenian origin. And, if we exclude jewelry and a few more product groups, such as mobile phones, it will be clear that the growth of exports of local products is much more modest.

Even if we consider jewelry as a product of local origin, talking about general growth and not presenting which products caused this can also mislead the public.

In 2024, in the list of “goods of Armenian origin” to be exported, jewelry occupies a large place. According to the Ministry of Economy, local products worth about 4.1 billion dollars were exported in the mentioned year, of which 0.9 billion dollars ($858 million) or 21% were jewelry items.

Full article on the source site.


https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2026/03/30/%D5%BA%D5%A1%D5%BA%D5%B8%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6/2419355


Iran-Armenia centuries-old ties show strength again in difficult times: Abbas

Aysor, Armenia
March 30 2026

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude to Armenia for its humanitarian support and friendly stance during this difficult period.

“The support of the government and people of the Republic of Armenia to the Iranian people in the evacuation of Iranians and the provision of humanitarian aid is highly appreciated. The centuries-old ties between Iran and Armenia have once again demonstrated their strength in challenging times, and these brotherly gestures will remain in the memory of the Iranian people,” the Foreign Minister wrote on X.

Araghchi made this post a day after a phone conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

168: “Spoofing exes” as a political shield no longer works

March: 29, 2026

Why is the government trying to scare again with the old ones?

As the elections are approaching, the rumors about the looting of the former have been activated again. At one time, they came to power by exploiting the loot of their predecessors. They want to deceive the people this time too. They forgot that the times when they said whatever they wanted and the people accepted it instead of melted oil, have long passed.

For 8 years, they have been playing the same disc about the looting of the former, but the looting is not coming back. Instead, their loot comes to the surface. They have been busy looting the budget for eight years. The former would even dream of emptying the budget in such professional ways. After that, they hope that people will believe in the fairy tales woven by the former about the looting. Especially since they don’t see the return of that loot, and even more so, they don’t feel the result.

Meanwhile, at one time Nikol Pashinyan invented so many lies about the astronomical loot of his predecessors that people believed him and after bringing him to power, they hoped that he would return the loot of his predecessors and divide them. In eight years, not only did they not get a share of the loot, but they also did not see where the return of the loot was.

Read also

  • Have you decided together that there will be a war? this is just putting people in the donkey’s place. Karen Bekaryan
  • The French “Legion of Honor” against the Turkish “Golden Eagle”. Pashinyan’s “lovely letter” – a blow to Papikyan?
  • As long as Iran resists, there will be peace in Armenia, regardless of whether Pashinyan stays or not. Badalyan

They have been talking about some billions for years, but the returned amounts are small.

In five years, the Department of Illegal Property Confiscation of the General Prosecutor’s Office brought back property and money equivalent to only 14.5 million dollars within the framework of illegal property confiscations.

Summarizing the works of the Department for the period of 2020-2025, we should note that within the framework of the authority to confiscate property of illegal origin, with 1 legally effective judgment and 9 reconciliation agreements, 9 immovable properties with an average market value of 4 billion 411 million 112 thousand 500 drams, 2 movable properties with an average market value of 26 million have been confiscated in favor of the Republic of Armenia. 100 thousand drams and 1 billion 13 million 281 thousand drams.

Thus, only within the framework of the Prosecutor’s Office’s authority to confiscate property of illegal origin, 5 billion 450 million 494 thousand 148 drams worth of property and money, which is equivalent to about 14 million 464 thousand US dollars, were confiscated in favor of the Republic of Armenia,” the General Prosecutor’s Office recorded in the expanded session of the panel held in early March.

This is all. And since the return of property of illegal origin, outside of the propaganda bubble, they failed, which is what their published data speaks of, they decided to save the situation in another way, they went back to 2018.

But that was not salvation either. It was another manipulation by which they tried to deceive the citizens.

“Indicators of properties and funds returned to the ownership or possession of the Republic of Armenia and communities in 2018-2025 through criminal proceedings, cases completed in courts, claims and settlements for the protection of state and community interests, prosecutorial intervention measures, and also from 2023, as a result of the use of the tools for the confiscation of property of illegal origin, were analyzed in the prosecutor’s office.

According to these indicators, during the years 2018-2025, around 291 billion 726 million drams (about 773 million dollars) of property and money were returned to the ownership or possession of the Republic of Armenia and its communities, of which 65.8 percent or about 193 billion drams (about 504 million dollars) of property and money were returned to the ownership or possession of the Republic of Armenia in 2023-2025. in order to dispel the sad moods, a few days later they published such a statement.

Against the background of regularly circulating announcements about the widespread and astronomical “loot”, the return of 773 million in 8 years, admit it, is a small amount. Especially, most of it is property, which they calculated in drams using their known methods and got such a number.

But that’s not the whole joke. What is being said about the recovery of the damage done to the state and communities has always happened. Even before the Communists came to power, damages amounting to billions of drams were being repaired annually. Do not create the impression that this is the case only now.

It is a process that is part of the work of the prosecutor’s office, and nothing unusual happened in this regard. The restoration of property and monetary damages of 773 million dollars is a common phenomenon. It is only about restoring the damage caused to the state as a result of law violations. Another thing is that now they only see the “illegalities and looting” of the former, they don’t see their own or they don’t want to see it.

They don’t see it, they think that the people don’t see it either.

They rob the state budget day in and day out. They decide that they will be given 20-25 thousand and sometimes up to 30 thousand dollars in bonuses at the expense of the budget.

Only with additional bonuses or incentives, more than 21 million dollars were distributed to government officials within 3 months. Individual officials received amounts up to 45-50 thousand dollars in 2 rounds during those 3 months.

This is not looting of state funds, what is it, whatever name they call it? It makes no difference how public funds are looted.

The calculation of the gratuity distributed under today’s rulers has long since been lost. But we are definitely talking about hundreds of millions of dollars.

They have created laws convenient for them in order to rob state funds.

They are talking about the looting of the former. In 8 years, almost 1.2 billion dollars were withdrawn from the state budget to solve the issues of their apartments. Instead of one, sometimes they bought several apartments at the expense of the state.

Isn’t it looting when the funds of the state budget are squandered left and right, and no one, including the law enforcement agencies, tries to get their hands on it? We are talking about misuse and waste of billions. They don’t see their looting, before the elections they have started playing the disc about the looting of the previous ones, which has been repeated a thousand times, and they are trying to frighten them with the return of the former “looters”. They do not understand that they can no longer deceive the people with this. They have long passed the previous ones, and if the people have reason to be wary, they should be wary of them first of all.

HAKOB KOCHARYAN




On June 7, Pashinyan must leave, the leadership of Armenia for him for the third time

March: 29, 2026

Vardan Oskanyan writes: “If you still have any doubt that trusting Pashinyan to lead Armenia for the third time, who has already brought it to the most unfavorable position in this complex region, could seriously endanger Armenia’s existence, just try to read the analyzes of regional developments. Without that, of course, there are dozens of undeniable and well-founded reasons to make it clear that Pashinyan should leave on June 7.

Starting from breaking the negotiations with Azerbaijan and inciting a war, from losing it catastrophically, to the complete emptying and loss of Nagorno Karabakh. Add to this the continuous disruption of Armenia’s territorial integrity, as Azerbaijan still occupies and may still occupy different parts of the country, as well as the disruption of the Constitution, the delegitimization of the judicial system, and the consistent restriction of civil rights and freedom of speech.

Among Pashinyan’s “achievements” are the deep division of society, turning the state system into a joke, abuse of the budget, pressures on the Armenian Apostolic Church, growing alienation of the diaspora, and in the background of all this, the decline of Armenia’s reputation. The list can be continued for a long time.

But especially today, when a war is unfolding in Iran, in Armenia’s immediate neighborhood, and now in the entire Middle East, one more weighty reason is added for Pashinyan to leave.

Whatever the outcome of this war, the region will not be the same by June 8. The attitude and expectations of the involved players towards the countries of this region will not be the same either. Very difficult times await us. And Pashinyan has clearly shown that he is not the person who can lead Armenia even in much more stable and calm times, such as 2018-2020.

Over the past eight years, he has shown profound ignorance and incompetence in almost every area. We made a mistake in 2018 by entrusting the leadership of the country to him. We made the second mistake by reproducing him in 2021. We have no right to make the third mistake.

Pashinyan must leave on June 7. The case of the head of Armenia, in the situation created by his own cause and in a complex region independent of him, is not his own. As experience has shown, it never happened.”

One who will resist the temptation to be proclaimed King on Palm Sunday and be ready

March: 29, 2026

The one who will resist the temptation to be proclaimed king on Palm Sunday and will be ready with all his being to bear the path of Charcharanats crucifixion, he will also reach the VICTORY OF THE RESURRECTION. Bagrat Srbazan’s new letter from prison

“Blessed is the coming in the name of the Lord…

Palm Sunday is the wonderful and glorious entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. It is a wonderful opportunity for us individually, personally and collectively to blossom, to renew, to open our hearts as a spiritual Jerusalem for the sanctifying entry and dwelling of the Lord.

You know, however, that Palm Sunday is followed by the Great or Charcharanats (suffering) week: denial, betrayal, false trial, crucifixion, but ultimately Resurrection and Victory.

However, it would be more correct to say that Palm Sunday precedes Charcharanats council, which is also a reflection of our life. life is not only Palm Sunday, and not only Charcharanats council, but the one who will resist the temptation to be proclaimed king on Palm Sunday and will be ready with all his being to bear the road of Charcharanats crucifixion, he will also reach the VICTORY OF RESURRECTION.

Our Lord’s way was and is, and ours is a choice to follow that way or not.

May the blessing of our Lord be with you all, dear ones, with the Flowering of our lives and the dwelling of Jesus in our hearts and the guidance and grace to guide our lives.

Remember, Palm Sunday is the bitter way to reach the VICTORY OF THE RESURRECTION by way of crucifixion, and that

VICTORY HAS NO OTHER CHOICE…”

With love and prayers

Prisoner of the homeland

Prince Bagrat Galstanyan

29.03.2026




The last days of Joseph Stalin’s life. exceptional detail of health conditions and treatment

March: 29, 2026

On March 1, 1953, Joseph Stalin was at his country house in Kuntsevo, Moscow region. On the same day, he was found by the security guard Lozgachyov, lying on the ground in the small dining room. The next day, on the morning of March 2, doctors arrived at the summer house.

On March 4, Stalin’s illness was officially announced. Information about his health was regularly broadcast on the radio.

The information mentioned the symptoms of Stalin’s illness: loss of consciousness, stroke, paralysis of the body and other complications. In the same period, newspapers throughout the Soviet Union began reporting details of Stalin’s illness, health, and treatment on a daily basis. Even local newspapers in Soviet Armenia, regardless of their content, were flooded with news about Stalin’s health. The Soviet Armenian press reported all the details related to Stalin.

“In 1953 On the night of March 2, I. V. “Stalin suffered a sudden hemorrhage in the brain, which involved vital parts of the brain, resulting in paralysis of the right leg and right arm, with loss of consciousness and the ability to speak.” (“Soviet studentship”, 1953, N 10).

After the event that took place on March 2, Stalin’s health condition as of March 4 was already mentioned in detail. Newspapers literally wrote all the details.

“During March 4, medical measures were taken to introduce oxygen, give camphor preparations, caffeine, strophantin and glucose. A second time, blood was taken using leeches. In connection with high temperature and high leukocytosis, penicillin treatment is intensified. On the night of March 5, I. V. Stalin’s health condition remains critical. The patient is in a state of soporosis (deep anesthesia). Her nervous regulation of breathing as well as her heart remain severely impaired.” (Ibid.).

“At around 2 o’clock in the night of March 4, I. V. Stalin’s health condition remains critical. There are significant breathing disorders, the rate of breathing is up to 36 per minute, the rhythm of breathing is irregular with regular long pauses. There is an increased pulse rate up to 120 beats per minute, complete arrhythmia, the maximum blood pressure is 220, the minimum is 120.” (Ibid.).

After all these details, newspapers are already writing about Stalin’s death. Apart from that, full articles are already being published about how Stalin’s health began to deteriorate, how he was during those few days. The preliminary, official version of death and the complete medical conclusion are also written.

 

“Medical conclusion of I. V. About Stalin’s illness and death

On the night of March 2nd, I. V. Stalin suffered a cerebral hemorrhage (in his left hemisphere) due to hypertension and arteriosclerosis. This resulted in paralysis of the right half of the body and permanent loss of consciousness.

On the very first day of the disease, signs of breathing disorders due to the disturbance of the function of the nervous centers were found. These violations increased day by day, they had the character of so-called periodic breathing with long pauses (Cheyne-Stokes breathing). On the night of March 3rd, respiratory disturbances began to take on a threatening character from time to time.

Significant changes in the cardiovascular system were also detected from the very beginning of the disease, namely, high blood pressure, frequent and irregular pulse rhythm (radiating arrhythmia) and heart enlargement. In connection with the growing disorders of breathing and blood circulation, signs of oxygen deficiency appeared already on March 3. From the first day of the illness, the temperature increased and high leukocytosis began to be observed, which could indicate the development of foci of inflammation in the lungs.

 

On the last day of the illness, along with a severe deterioration of the general condition, repeated attacks of severe acute cardiovascular failure (collapse) began. The electrocardiographic examination revealed an acute blood circulation disorder in the coronary vessels of the heart with the formation of focal lesions of the myocardium.

In the second half of the afternoon on March 5, the patient’s condition began to deteriorate particularly quickly, breathing became shallow and very frequent, the pulse rate reached 140-150 beats per minute, the bleeding of the pulse dropped. 50 minutes after 21:00, as a result of increasing cardiovascular and respiratory failure phenomena, I.V. Stalin is dead.” (“Soviet studentship”, 1953, N 10).

Stalin’s death was officially announced on the radio on the morning of March 6, 1953. March 6-9 is declared mourning. The funeral takes place on March 9. Stalin is buried in the Kremlin Wall Pantheon.

Z. I hesitated