Armenian Diaspora Demonstrates in Berlin During Pashinyan Visit, Warning of Political Repression and Human Rights Abuses
- The Armenian Report Team
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A group of Armenian youth and community members in Germany held a protest on Tuesday as Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Berlin for a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The demonstrators gathered in front of the Federal Chancellery to raise concerns about growing authoritarianism in Armenia ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Arshak Makichyan, one of the protest participants, told The Armenian Report in an interview, “Pashinyan posts videos on Instagram every day to gain support from the younger generation, yet he does not engage in real dialogue with us. He films himself riding a bike in Berlin and claims he is open to talking to people, but in practice we do not see this. Instead of encouraging our participation in politics, the government silences everyone who raises issues related to the rights of Artsakhi Armenians, the first Armenian genocide, or our right to a safe return to our Indigenous lands. Then Turks come into my comment section and say: ‘Even your president’ (they don’t know he is actually the prime minister) ‘doesn’t recognize the genocide!’ And I don’t know what to respond, other than saying that I wouldn’t vote for him.”
Protesters said that while European governments often see Pashinyan as a democratic leader, the situation inside Armenia “tells a different story.” Their demands included the release of political prisoners, an end to government pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church, and a stop to the misuse of law enforcement and judicial systems against political opponents. Opposition sources in Armenia say more than 60 people, including four archbishops and several clergymen, are currently imprisoned on politically motivated charges.
The demonstrators also called on Germany to address the issue of Armenian captives still held in Azerbaijan. They emphasized that their protest was intended to ensure that the concerns of Armenians living abroad, particularly the younger generation, are acknowledged during high-level diplomatic meetings.
By protesting in front of Germany’s main government offices, the participants aimed to draw international attention to human rights issues and political repression in Armenia, as well as to raise awareness about Armenian cultural and national concerns.
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