Armenia is currently experiencing a turbulent period marked by intense internal political turmoil. Interpersonal conflict, hatred, and bitterness are steadily escalating. The primary instigator and responsible party is none other than Nikol Pashinyan, together with the executive administration he once proudly labeled as “ignorant.” Since gaining independence, Armenia has weathered many crises, but what has unfolded since 2018—particularly in recent years—is without precedent. Never before has society been this embittered, this radicalized—trends that continue to deepen by the day, becoming increasingly dangerous and unmanageable.

For over seven years, the ruling Civil Contract party has fueled division by pitting groups against one another through hate speech and mutual animosity, implementing a “divide and rule” strategy it wrongly believes ensures control. But as the saying goes, Pashinyan has “shot himself in the foot,” having exhausted the last reserves of public trust and cornered himself politically. This situation is exacerbated by unlawful arrests and political repression, which have become a near-daily occurrence, a policy of isolation both domestically and internationally, and a cascade of lies and manipulations that no longer fool the public. Most alarming of all is the normalization of vulgarity and profanity in public discourse.

It is a sad but undeniable fact: vulgar language, insults, and personal attacks—often amplified by the “ruling family” on social media—have become an inseparable part of daily life, causing deep social harm. One is reminded of poet Gevorg Emin’s immortal lines: “Use words with the caution of a weapon when the times are troubled. Know this—both the bullet and the letter are forged from the same lead.” If Anna Hakobyan had taken heed of the great poet’s wisdom, she might have refrained from using terms like “asshole,” “brainless,” “louse,” “intellectual pimp,” or “idiot” to describe her critics.

Yet this vulgarity is minor compared with the larger domestic political crisis and the unlawful actions being carried out in full view of the public. These include mass arrests and acts of violence against those perceived by the authorities as threats to their hold on power. The rationale behind these crackdowns echoes a familiar Stalinist logic: “The important thing is to find the person; a charge can always be found.” And indeed, representatives of Pashinyan’s legal apparatus seem to always find—or invent—a reason to prosecute.

A particularly blatant example is the manipulated audio recording used to justify charges against Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Diocese of Tavush. In the excerpt, he is heard saying: “You shoot two people against the wall, put another 15 in prison, and they’re all wiped out. You execute them, give compensation to the family—for their lives—and they’ll even be happy.” According to “Hraparak” newspaper, this snippet was taken out of context. During the hearing on his detention, the Investigative Committee failed to present the full recording—because had they done so, it would have been clear that Galstanyan was referring to drug addicts and drug dealers who are destroying the nation. His exact words were: “Let’s shoot them against the wall—their families will even be happy.”

This is a textbook case of evidence falsification—a serious criminal offense. If law enforcement has the integrity and courage to act on this information, which “Hraparak” reports has been verified by two independent sources, the case could be dramatically overturned. The real perpetrators—those engaged in legal fraud and those protecting them—could be brought to justice. It’s hard to predict how many more individuals Pashinyan plans to imprison based on fabricated evidence, but one thing is clear: by the June 2026 elections, all serious political challengers will likely have been neutralized.