All church-related legal complaints rejected in Armenia: lawyer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lawyer Ara Zohrabyan has reported that complaints submitted to law enforcement agencies over alleged violations during an October “liturgy” held at Hovhannavank, organized by Armenian authorities, have been rejected, while appeals remain unanswered, according to Sputnik Armenia.

Zohrabyan said his legal team filed a report with the Prosecutor General, calling for criminal charges against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other officials, citing Article 209 of the Criminal Code — obstruction of religious rites, particularly when committed by state officials.

He claimed that the Prime Minister, law enforcement personnel, and political figures, including Stepan Asatryan interfered with the activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church and violated the law by enabling a defrocked cleric to lead a religious service. Despite this, the Investigative Committee refused to initiate a case. Appeals to both the Prosecutor’s Office and the courts have received no responses to date.

In parallel, a formal complaint was submitted to the police, as the Hovhannavank monastery is property of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Under government regulations, unauthorized entry or use of private property requires police intervention — which, Zohrabyan states, never occurred. Even administrative complaints about police inaction have not yielded results, two months later.

Another legal notice submitted in July alleged violations of constitutional protections granted to the church. According to Armenia’s Constitution and laws on religious organizations, the church is independent of the state, which has no authority to interfere in its internal affairs.

Nevertheless, Zohrabyan stated, Prime Minister Pashinyan openly called for the Catholicos’ removal and applied pressure on the church, amounting to state overreach. A complaint filed with the Prosecutor’s Office over this matter was also rejected, and the court has yet to rule on the appeal.

Zohrabyan argues that law enforcement’s inaction has emboldened further pressure on the church, including interrogations of clergy and unauthorized changes to religious rituals potentially carried out with the involvement of national security services, which he says would constitute a criminal offense.

“This entire process is utterly illegal,” Zohrabyan said. “Within the domestic legal system, the chance of achieving justice is minimal. But we’re continuing to file appeals, identify those responsible, and document everything. Justice will come. Meanwhile, we’re doing our part to defend the clergy under pressure.”

On December 8, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published a statement on Facebook calling for the removal of Catholicos Karekin II, along with what he described as a “roadmap to renovate the church.” Prior to that, he had posted proposals to reform church rituals.

On October 26, defrocked priest Stepan Asatryan (formerly Ter Aram) conducted a “mass.” Despite repeated warnings from the Mother See that only ordained clergy can perform services, Asatryan proceeded. Prime Minister Pashinyan, cabinet ministers, regional governors, and hundreds of Civil Contract party supporters attended the event.