Last month, Armenia announced it would cede land to the country’s historic foe, Azerbaijan, marking a significant step toward a peace deal. Both Yerevan and Baku hailed this as a crucial milestone.

However, the decision sparked social unrest, with yesterday’s protests targeting the Opera House, where the prime minister was addressing an international conference.

Archbishop Galstanyan, a senior Armenian cleric who led the protest, said that only the removal of Pashinyan could resolve the issue.

Nagorno-Karabakh debate

After the Armenian government’s announcement regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of people joined a protest march led by Archbishop Galstanyan. They reached Yerevan on May 9 after walking for several days from a village in the country’s northeast, a distance of some 160 km.

Armenia, traditionally Russia's closest ally in the South Caucasus and a treaty partner, has seen a sharp decline in relations with Moscow in recent months. This downturn comes as Yerevan strengthens ties with Western countries, criticizing Russia for not protecting it against Azerbaijan.

In September last year, Azerbaijan forcefully reclaimed the Nagorno-Karabakh region, leading to the displacement of 100,000 ethnic Armenians who had previously enjoyed independence since the 1990s.