End persecution of Apostolic Church, Armenia told

Christians have called upon the Armenian government to finish what it calls the “persecution” of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Signatories of the joint statement include the NGOs Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Coptic Solidarity, and SOS Chrétiens d’Orient. 

Relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the federal government are currently severely strained. Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan has been arrested on charges of encouraging the overthrow of the federal government by undemocratic means.

Armenian prosecutors point to various statements made by the archbishop appearing to call for a coup. In one he told News.am, “I called for a coup to save lots of the country from this madman, they are usually not saving it, also they are guilty of all this. This is just not only a call, it have to be done.”

As well as arresting senior clergy, Armenian security forces have carried out various law enforcement actions on the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In a press release CSI said it had “grave concerns over the intensifying campaign by the Armenian government against the Armenian Apostolic Church and its supporters.”

“Over the past few weeks, we have now witnessed the apparently arbitrary detention of senior members of the clergy and of distinguished supporters of the church, the expropriation of their property, and using police force inside sacred spaces, including the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church at Etchmiadzin,” the Switzerland-based organisation said. 

CSI said that the federal government was effectively attempting to take control of the church by suggesting the substitute of the church’s Catholicos with a state-run committee.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has not denied this, in truth claiming that he’s attempting to save lots of the church from “anti-Christian” and “anti-state” groups that he says have have taken over the church.

CSI called upon the federal government to release those that have been arrested, including Archbishop Ajapahyan, to stop all interference in the interior workings of the church, and to make sure that the judiciary and other state apparatus deal justly with the church.

Earlier this month, the World Council of Churches (WCC) issued a press release expressing “deep concern” at the present state of affairs.