At Monday’s session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), delegate Edward Leigh stated that it is necessary to pay attention to the situation surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church, claiming that the Armenian authorities are exerting unprecedented pressure on the church and interfering in its internal affairs.

At the same time, Leigh suggested that the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7 be viewed in the context of the current government’s attitude towards the Armenian Apostolic Church.

He noted that the Armenian Apostolic Church is the oldest national church in the world and today faces a threat, which, he claims, comes not from an external adversary, but from the Armenian state itself. According to Leigh, this is not just about political disagreements, but a targeted attack on religious autonomy.

Also, he stated that over the past year, the Armenian state has carried out illegal arrests and detentions of clergy, persecuted church workers, and imposed travel bans on the church clergy. Separately, the PACE delegate touched upon the parliamentary elections held in Armenia in June.

According to him, the ruling Civil Contract Party has for the first time included provisions in its election program that, in his opinion, are aimed at limiting the autonomy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. As per Leigh, after receiving a parliamentary majority, this policy, as he claims, has continued.

In addition, the PACE member stated that in recent weeks, the Armenian government has published a report prepared upon its instruction, which criticizes the canonical structure of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and has threatened to initiate a parliamentary investigation with the aim of changing church statutes.

According to him, the use of state mechanisms to interfere with ancient church norms is a violation of human rights and freedom of religion. In conclusion, Edward Leigh called on the Council of Europe to pay special attention to the issue of church freedom in Armenia.