Armenian civil society demands  authorities to refrain from  undermining  Church`s autonomy

ArmInfo.Several Armenian civil society organizations and public figures have issued a statement condemning the actions of the Armenian authorities, which  undermine the autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The statement reads as follows:

We, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals,  express our deep concern regarding the alarming developments that  have recently taken place in Armenia. Today, we are witnessing  violations of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the  principle of the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedoms,  and the independence of the judiciary, as well as a gross breach of  the autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (the Church), a  right protected by the Constitution and international conventions.

Representatives of Armenia's executive and legislative branches  continue to interfere with the autonomy and freedom of the Church's  activities, in violation of the Constitution and the Law on Freedom  of Conscience and Religious Organizations, international norms on  freedom of religion or belief, and the case- law of the European  Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The authorities' unlawful and  unacceptable attempts to influence the formation of ecclesiastical  governance bodies and internal decision-making processes are deeply  concerning. Equally unacceptable are attempts to arbitrarily edit or  alter the Church's centuries-old traditions, rites, sacraments,  canonical order, and other domains of ecclesial life.

We strongly condemn the exertion of pressure on Church clergy by  state security bodies of the Republic of Armenia, including the  National Security Service. Such conduct constitutes an abuse of  official power and an impermissible deviation from the aims and  functions of the National Security Service.

We are also concerned by the selective use of criminal justice tools  against clergy, for the purpose of exerting unlawful and undue  influence, including the use of pre-trial detention as a punitive  measure and as a means of compelling behavior desired by public  authorities.

It is unacceptable that public officials at the highest political  level continue to promote rhetoric targeting clergy with hate speech  and insults, as well as unlawfully disseminating personal  information, using both public and private information channels. We  believe that such actions may severely undermine the country's  already fragile social cohesion, leading to deeper polarization and  intolerance.

We firmly believe that any reform or renewal within the Church must  take place inside the Church itself, grounded in the principles of  freedom and autonomy of religious organization, in accordance with  the Constitution and Armenia's international legal obligations,  without any discrimination and on an equal footing with other  religious organizations.

In view of the above, we reiterate our demands:

From representatives of public authorities, and especially from Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan: to refrain from any actions that violate  the RA Constitution, domestic laws, or Armenia's international legal  obligations; to respect the Church's freedom and autonomy; and to  cease exerting unlawful influence on judicial bodies and  law-enforcement agencies.

From President Vahagn Khachaturyan: to fulfil his function of  overseeing adherence to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

From public officials: to exercise restraint in their public  statements; to observe the ethical and behavioural standards required  of public office-holders; and to refrain from speech that  disseminates hate, intolerance, discrimination, or insult.

From judges: to exercise their powers independently, in compliance  with the Constitution and human rights standards, including the right  to liberty and the principle that pre-trial detention must be applied  only as an exceptional measure.

From the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor's Office: to  ensure independent and effective investigations, guided solely by the  requirements of the Constitution and the law; and to safeguard the  rights of all individuals involved in proceedings, including respect  for the presumption of innocence.

From the Police and the National Security Service: to carry out their  functions independently and strictly in accordance with the demands  of the Constitution and the law; and to refrain from the  disproportionate and unnecessary use of force or from violating  individual's rights." 

The statement was signed by: Protection of Rights Without Borders  NGO.  Regional Center for Democracy and Security, Yerevan Press Club,  Armenian Progressive Youth NGO, Public Journalism Club,  Journalists  for Human Rights NGO, Center for Law and Freedom NGO, Armenian  Committee of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Helsinki Association  for Human Rights, Center for Media Initiatives, Yazidi Center for  Human Rights, Center for Integration and Community Support.  Additionally, cultural anthropologist Gayane Shagoyan, international  expert on freedom of religion and belief Isabella Sargsyan, Zaruhi  Hovhannisyan, human rights activist from the New Culture of Justice  NGO,  publisher Armen Martirosyan, journalist-publicist Tigran  Paskevichyan, architect and urban planner Sarhat Petrosyan,  psychologist, social protection specialist Inga Harutyunyan,  orientalist Apres Zohrabyan, architect-theorist Aram Ghanalanyan,  cultural anthropologist Arsen Hakobyan, translator Maria Sadoyan,  human rights activist Mushegh Hovsepyan, teacher, translator and  editor Nune Torosyan, writer, lecturer Ruben Malayan, human rights  activist Vardan Harutyunyan, and communications specialist Mariam  Movsisyan.