Pashinyan May Strip the Citizenship of Armenians Who Didn’t Vote for Him — By Harut Sassounian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is becoming increasingly intolerant to all those who disagree with him.
In the midst of the June 7 parliamentary elections, Pashinyan illegally ordered the arrests of hundreds of opposition members and several parliamentary candidates; prevented the leaders of opposition parties from leaving the country; and threatened to imprison them and ban their political parties.
Next, Pashinyan may not allow Armenians who oppose him to vote at all and may strip them of their citizenship. Does anyone still think that the government can be changed through elections?
The latest problem began when Pashinyan heard that a large number of Armenian citizens living in Russia were planning to travel to Armenia to vote in the June 7 parliamentary elections. Initially, he falsely claimed that he was not worried about them, since he was certain that they would be voting for his political party. However, not believing his own claim, he announced that they would be intercepted when entering Armenia and subjected to a 25-day military training. In addition to preventing these Armenians from voting, he denigrated the patriotic act of military service by presenting it as a form of punishment.
When Armenians ask why Diaspora Armenians who are not citizens of Armenia are not allowed to vote in the Armenian elections, I tell them they should be much more concerned about the fact that around one million Armenian citizens, who have lived abroad since the country’s independence, are not allowed to vote in their homeland’s elections, unless they are in Armenia on election day. No one has the right to deprive Armenian citizens who live overseas of exercising their fundamental right to vote. This is why over 150 countries allow their overseas citizens to vote.
The problem became much more serious after Pashinyan’s government decided to place residency requirements on Armenian citizens who travel to Armenia to vote. To make sure that never again those who are opposed to the regime can fly to Armenia at the last minute to vote, Pashinyan’s parliamentary allies announced last week that they are planning to amend the law to require that all citizens who come to Armenia from overseas to vote can only do so if they have lived in Armenia for at least six months prior to the elections.
This is wrong and discriminatory. Pashinyan has no right to treat the citizens of Armenia who live overseas as second-class citizens. No one has the right to deprive Armenian citizens of the right to vote.
Instead of recognizing that the Diaspora is a valuable asset, Pashinyan is trying to discourage its members from any involvement in their homeland. The Diaspora is much more than a “milking cow.” They can contribute to Armenia’s prosperity through their investments and expertise. A small nation, having survived centuries of persecution, massacres and even genocide, should not be split into smaller factions. Pashinyan has already divided them into former vs. current leaders, Hayastantsis vs. Artsakhtsis, Hayastantsis vs. Diasporans, and now internal vs. external citizens. He should follow the call for unity issued by prominent poet Yeghishe Charents: “Oh, Armenian people, your only salvation is in your collective power.”
When Pashinyan first came to power in 2018, he dismantled the Diaspora Ministry, the only existing link between Armenia and the Diaspora. Instead, he created “The High Commissioner’s Office of Diaspora Affairs of Armenia” headed by Zareh Sinanyan, who proceeded to destroy all the bridges between Armenia and the Diaspora. Pashinyan himself has made derogatory remarks about Diaspora Armenians, while meeting with them during his travels overseas.
Ironically, Armenia’s enemies, Azerbaijan and Turkey, are the ones that recognize the importance of the Diaspora. Over the years, both Pres. Erdogan of Turkey and Pres. Aliyev of Azerbaijan have repeatedly commented that they have excellent relations with the Armenian government, but they are alarmed that “the powerful” Diaspora is interfering in their plans to exact maximum concessions from Armenia.
The Turkish and Azeri governments have given specific instructions to their embassies and consulates to follow closely the activities and statements of local Armenian communities. They monitor the Armenian media to be aware of the messages they communicate and the activities they are planning. The collected information is transferred to the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Turkey.
A recent example is the “Diaspora Mobilization Conference” which was held in Paris on April 11-12, 2026 in the presence of 170 Armenian activists from 26 countries, including three former Prime Ministers of Armenia and representatives from the Artsakh government.
Ilaha Khantamirova, an analyst at the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVIM) based in Ankara, wrote an extensive two-part analysis of the Paris conference. Here are excerpts from her report: “Pashinyan stands out as the first political leader in the history of independent Armenia to openly antagonize both the Armenian Church and the Diaspora. In particular, his shift in rhetoric regarding the Karabagh issue in recent years — has caused serious rifts within Diaspora circles. Pashinyan’s explicit acknowledgment that Karabagh constitutes Azerbaijani territory…signifies a major departure from traditional Armenian nationalist discourse.”
