The consul, Narek Spartakian, has held the position in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg since 2018. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday did not deny his dismissal reported by a Russian news website, Ura.ru.
“I consider any actions against the Armenian Apostolic Church, an important foundation of the spiritual unity of all Armenians, unacceptable,” the publication quoted Spartakian as saying on Monday.
The 35-year-old also heaped praise on Karapetian, who was arrested on June 18 hours after condemning Pashinian’s efforts to depose the supreme head of the Armenian Church, Catholicos Garegin II, and other senior clerics.
The tycoon, who has mainly lived in Russia since the early 1990s, is facing a string of criminal charges, including a call for a violent overthrow of the government. He rejects the accusations as politically motivated.
Vahagn Aleksanian, a deputy chairman of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, appeared to confirm the Russian report.
“In my view, an honorary consul has no right to speak out against policies of the elected authorities of Armenia or actions of Armenia’s law-enforcement bodies,” Aleksanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Pashinian has been pressuring Garegin to resign, saying that the latter had fathered a child in breach of his vows of celibacy. His detractors say that he is simply trying to please Azerbaijan and/or neutralize a key source of opposition to his unilateral concessions to Armenia’s arch-foe.
In a July 20 appeal to his supporters, Pashinian pledged to “free” the Echmiadzin seat of the Catholicos, which is part of the town of Vagharshapat, from Garegin. He said they should gear up for a rally in Vagharshapat’s central square adjacent to the church’s Mother See.
The gathering did not take place last week, contrary to predictions made by some media outlets and opposition figures. Pashinian has still not set a date for it.
Garegin’s office accused Pashinian on July 21 of planning a violent attack on the Mother See. Armenian opposition groups condemned Pashinian’s declared plans in even stronger terms. They also urged their supporters to be ready to rush to Echmiadzin and protect the Catholicos.
Pashinian has made no further social media posts against the church’s top clergy in the last few days. Aleksanian insisted that the premier has not abandoned his plans to “liberate” the historic church headquarters.