Nikol Pashinyan

Pashinyan led a series of peaceful protests against the long-serving Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who was accused of clinging to power. The protests, known as the Velvet Revolution, forced Sargsyan to resign, and Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister by parliament.

Following the Velvet Revolution, Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister of Armenia by a parliamentary vote. His election marked a shift towards a more democratic and reformist government, with promises to tackle corruption and strengthen the rule of law.

Pashinyan's government faced a full-scale war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The 44-day war ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire that saw Armenia cede significant territories it had controlled since the 1990s. The defeat triggered a political crisis in Armenia.

Following the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the Armenian military issued a statement demanding Pashinyan's resignation, which he denounced as a coup attempt. He dismissed the chief of the general staff and mobilized supporters, ultimately retaining power amid mass protests.