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Armenian Church-State Tensions Exploited in US Conservative Media
In a controversial appearance on Tucker Carlson’s talk show, Narek Karapetyan, nephew of detained Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, presented a deeply misleading narrative about Armenia’s internal political tensions, framing them as part of a global religious conflict.
The interview, which aired earlier this month, falsely characterized the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as a Christian-Muslim confrontation and claimed that tensions between Armenia’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church represent “a struggle against Christianity.” Karapetyan also incorrectly stated that the Armenian Genocide occurred “because Armenians were Christians.”
These assertions distort both historical facts and current political realities in the South Caucasus region.
Notably absent from the program was crucial context about Karapetyan himself. He is the son of Karen Karapetyan, former Chief of Staff to Armenia’s third president Serzh Sargsyan and multiple-term member of parliament with the then-ruling Republican Party. Until recently, Narek headed the family-owned Tashir Group but had maintained a low public profile and avoided political statements.
His sudden emergence on the international stage appears strategically timed, coming after his uncle Samvel Karapetyan was arrested on charges of calling for a coup d’état. The elder Karapetyan had made a brief but provocative public appearance at Armenia’s spiritual center in Etchmiadzin, where he declared: “If the politicians fail, then we will participate in all this in our own way.”
The backdrop to these developments is a complex internal crisis in Armenia, centered on escalating tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and senior clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Following Armenia’s devastating defeats in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the subsequent ethnic cleansing of Armenians from the region in 2023, the Pashinyan government has pursued normalization with Azerbaijan, including border delimitation agreements. This process has triggered significant domestic opposition, with certain Church leaders taking increasingly political stances.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan of the Tavush Diocese led protests in August 2024 demanding Pashinyan’s resignation after Armenia returned four previously occupied Azerbaijani villages as part of the normalization process. In June 2025, Galstanyan and several others were arrested on coup-planning charges, while another senior cleric, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, was detained for allegedly calling for the violent overthrow of the government.
Armenian authorities claim these activities are connected to Catholicos Karekin II, who had previously demanded Pashinyan’s resignation. The government has accused parts of the Church of remaining under Russian influence, a claim seemingly reinforced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s public concern over “attacks on the Armenian Church.”
The tension reached new heights when Pashinyan publicly accused the Catholicos of having a child and being unfit for office, while alleging “immoral sexual conduct” among other clerics.
Against this backdrop, Narek Karapetyan’s interview appears designed to reshape his image domestically while simultaneously amplifying Russian disinformation narratives to an American audience. His claims about the Armenian Genocide contradict historical consensus, including statements from Church leaders themselves who have emphasized that the genocide was driven by the Young Turks’ ideological plans rather than religious conflict.
Similarly, his portrayal of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as religiously motivated ignores the fact that Armenian leaders have consistently avoided such framing, while Azerbaijan has unsuccessfully attempted to gain Muslim-world support through religious appeals. Even Iran, a Shi’a Islamic state neighboring Azerbaijan, has maintained relatively cordial relations with Christian-majority Armenia.
Ironically, while Karapetyan accused Pashinyan of being “anti-Christian,” the Prime Minister has recently emphasized Christian ethics in public life, frequently sharing Psalms on social media and participating in church services.
The interview, which included Samvel Karapetyan’s lawyer Robert Amsterdam, ultimately served to export internal Armenian political arguments into American discourse while ignoring Azerbaijan’s documented destruction of Armenian Christian sites in territories it now controls. Amsterdam, who has previously represented the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, also drew parallels between Pashinyan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, further advancing pro-Russian narratives.
As Armenia prepares for parliamentary elections in 2026, which many expect will focus on the country’s foreign policy direction, such misrepresentations risk undermining Armenia’s position at a critical geopolitical juncture.
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11 Comments
This is a concerning situation. While tensions between the Armenian government and the Church are complex, Narek Karapetyan’s framing on Tucker Carlson seems like a clear attempt to distort the facts and paint it as a religious conflict. More transparency around Karapetyan’s own background and political ties would be helpful to understand his motivations.
The idea of tensions between the Armenian government and the Church being framed as a ‘struggle against Christianity’ seems like a concerning oversimplification. I hope we can get a more balanced perspective on this situation that doesn’t rely on inflammatory rhetoric.
Absolutely. Nuance and objectivity are key when dealing with such a complex, politically-charged issue. Jumping to conclusions based on one individual’s claims could end up distorting the reality on the ground.
Interesting, but I’m skeptical of the claims made in this Tucker Carlson interview. Framing the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as a Christian-Muslim confrontation seems like an oversimplification. I wonder what the Armenian government’s perspective is on these church-state tensions and Karapetyan’s allegations.
This is a complex and sensitive topic. I think it’s important to be cautious about claims of manipulation, especially when they seem to be pushing a particular narrative. More objective, fact-based analysis from a range of sources would be helpful to understand the nuances of the situation.
Allegations of manipulation are quite serious. I’d like to see a more nuanced, fact-based analysis that considers the full context, rather than sensationalized claims about a ‘struggle against Christianity’. The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has deep historical roots that go beyond just religious divides.
While the allegations of manipulation are serious, I’m not convinced by Karapetyan’s framing of this as a religious conflict. The Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions have deep historical roots that go beyond just faith divisions. I’d like to see more rigorous, impartial analysis of the situation.
Good point. Oversimplifying the situation as a ‘struggle against Christianity’ seems like an attempt to sensationalize and distort the actual dynamics at play. A more nuanced, fact-based approach is needed to truly understand what’s happening.
While I appreciate Karapetyan bringing attention to these issues, his assertions about the Armenian Genocide and the current political situation appear to be misleading. It’s important to examine the full context and motivations at play here, rather than just accepting his framing at face value.
Hmm, the details around Karapetyan’s own background and ties raise some red flags for me. I’d like to see more reporting that scrutinizes his motivations and the accuracy of the claims he’s making, rather than just amplifying them uncritically.
I agree, it’s crucial to look at the full context and not just take these allegations at face value. Careful, impartial analysis is needed to understand the true dynamics at play.