Zhirayr Sefilyan: Serzh Sargsyan Has Retained All Levers of Power Since the “Velvet Revolution”

In a recent interview with Factor-TV, Zhirayr Sefilyan, a member of the National Democratic Pole (NDP) Council, made a series of pointed remarks about former president Serzh Sargsyan’s ongoing influence over Armenia’s domestic politics. According to Sefilyan, Sargsyan continues to wield significant power behind the scenes, despite no longer holding public office. Sefilyan’s key assertions included:

  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is essentially serving as an assistant to Serzh Sargsyan.
  • Despite the change in government, Serzh Sargsyan has remained untouched - “not a single hair has fallen from his head,” Sefilyan noted. He has not spent a single day behind bars.
  • Sargsyan, not Pashinyan, controls 90% of the political landscape in Armenia.
  • Having held high-ranking positions since the early 1990s, Sargsyan consolidated all the levers of power. Even after the "Velvet Revolution," he never truly handed them over to the new authorities and continues to retain control.
  • If Sargsyan identifies a suitable replacement for Pashinyan, he will back that candidate. If not, he is content to keep Pashinyan in power.
  • Sargsyan actively worked to undermine the "Holy Struggle" movement led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.

Sefilyan reiterated these views in another interview with Euromedia 24 on September 17, 2025:

“Serzh Sargsyan, in reality, never lost power. He gave birth to Nikol Pashinyan’s government and has been co-governing the country with him ever since. He will continue to protect Pashinyan until he finds someone to take his place,” Sefilyan stated.