Danish Council monitors cases of arrested AAC bishops

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Danish Council of Churches has issued a statement addressed to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, expressing deep concern over the detention of several bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). The Council emphasized it is closely monitoring the current situation in Armenia.

According to Aysor.am , the statement highlights the importance of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a pillar of Armenian culture and history.

“The Danish Council of Churches is observing the current situation in Armenia with great attention, particularly the detention of several bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The AAC is a sister church to us, and the Armenian Church in Denmark is a member of our Council,” the statement reads.

The Council voiced serious concern about what appears to be pressure on fundamental human rights in Armenia. It emphasized that freedoms of thought, conscience, and religion are core rights protected by international treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, both of which Armenia has signed.

As a historical church with public significance, the AAC deserves respect and the freedom to carry out its natural functions within the law, the Council stressed. It called for any legal proceedings against church leaders, especially the currently detained four bishops, to be conducted with full respect for the rule of law, proportionality, and religious freedom. The Council also noted that many other European churches are following these cases.

“We urge the Armenian authorities to uphold the country’s centuries-old Christian traditions and ensure that dialogue, legal trust, and respect for fundamental freedoms remain guiding values of Armenian society,” the statement concludes.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and bishops demanding the Catholicos’s resignation issued a joint statement calling for reform within the AAC. Pashinyan read the statement live on Facebook, after which the supporting bishops and archbishops signed it.

The Prime Minister announced the formation of a coordinating council tasked with organizing reforms within the Church, noting that it would only be expanded through unanimous agreement.