Expert warns anti-church campaign could harm Armenia's global standing

An Armenian legal scholar has warned that the government’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church could damage not only the church itself but also Armenia’s reputation abroad.

In a social media post on Thursday, Gevorg Danielyan, a professor of law, rejected claims that Catholicos Karekin II was preparing to remove sacred treasures and relocate the Catholicosate outside Armenia. He described such allegations and rumours of misconduct among senior clergy as “extreme and absurd fabrications.”

Danielyan argued that even if only a small segment of society believes these claims, their circulation could still influence the country’s political landscape. “If this changes the balance of power, it will hardly benefit those who launched the anti-church campaign,” he wrote.

He cautioned that the controversy risks triggering “an unprecedented decline in the country’s international reputation” and weakening Armenia’s overall standing. The conflict, he said, represents an “artificial confrontation” that promises national loss rather than any meaningful domestic gain.

Danielyan also stressed that the Armenian Apostolic Church maintains a “unique and powerful international network” which, if engaged constructively, could significantly strengthen Armenia’s foreign and domestic policy efforts.

“May God protect our country, people and church,” he concluded.