Armenian opposition MP warns against state interference in church affairs

Armenian opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan accused the government of crossing “red lines” by intervening in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church, warning that such actions threaten fundamental freedoms and risk pushing the country toward “irreversibility”.

Speaking at parliamentary hearings initiated by his Pativ Unem faction, Abrahamyan said recent developments raised serious concerns about the boundaries between state and church. He stressed that while the state has the authority to ensure laws are upheld, it cannot dictate internal religious decisions, including who may serve as clergy or how rituals are conducted.

The draft parliamentary declaration under discussion proposes several measures, including greater legal transparency, consultation with the Venice Commission on the limits of state involvement in religious governance, depoliticization of the judiciary and a stronger role for the human rights defender.

“If the state today can arbitrarily interfere in the church’s internal affairs, arrest clergymen for defending the homeland and the church, then it is clear it has no hesitation in crossing red lines,” Abrahamyan said, adding that such practices erode democratic safeguards.