The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention on December 28 released a statement expressing deep concern and warning that recent developments in Armenia show early indicators of identity-based repression and the erosion of democratic safeguards. The Institute cited what it described as growing state repression against the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the arrests and intimidation of senior clergy, state interference in church governance, and the use of legal mechanisms to silence religious leadership. It said these actions represent “a dangerous challenge to Armenia’s democratic institutions,” threaten both religious freedom and Armenia’s constitutional principles, and risk undermining one of the core pillars of Armenian national identity.
The Institute noted that tensions between the Armenian government and the Church intensified following education reforms introduced in 2023, which removed the History of the Armenian Church as a standalone mandatory subject and integrated it into broader curricula. It also drew attention to developments earlier this year surrounding an international conference organized by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, in cooperation with the World Council of Churches and the Protestant Church of Switzerland.
Held in Bern from May 26 to 28, 2025, the conference focused on the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh, the historically Armenian region that was fully depopulated following Azerbaijan’s military operation in September 2023. According to the statement, the event drew criticism from Azerbaijan’s spiritual leader, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, who accused conference participants of encouraging Armenians “to fight to the death” by advocating for the protection of cultural heritage.
The Lemkin Institute stated that within weeks of the conference, Armenian authorities detained two senior clerics, Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Michael Ajapahyan, charging them with attempting to overthrow the government and destabilize the state. These arrests were followed by the detention of several other priests as part of a widening investigation into alleged political interference and corruption within the clergy.
Additional arrests followed later in the year. In October 2025, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn Diocese, was taken into custody. On December 4, Armenian authorities detained Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, marking the third arrest of a senior archbishop within six months.
Two weeks later, on December 18, a protest involving a small group of archbishops and bishops took place at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, calling for the removal of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. Although Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not attend the protest, he publicly expressed approval, alleging during a briefing that the Catholicos had links to unspecified foreign intelligence services. The Lemkin Institute stated that, when considered alongside the Prime Minister’s previously stated plans to remove Karekin II, the protest appeared to be part of a broader effort to undermine the independence of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
While the government has maintained that its actions are based on evidence of criminal wrongdoing, church leaders have rejected the accusations as politically motivated, describing them as an attack on religious freedom and an attempt to weaken the Church as an independent institution.
The Institute emphasized that no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate the charges against detained clergy. It also cited reports of state pressure on religious services, interference in internal church affairs, and efforts to influence clerical leadership, warning that such actions exceed lawful state authority and undermine the constitutional separation of church and state.
The statement raised particular concern over the government’s recent decision to remove Shoghakat television channel, established by and co-financed by the Armenian Apostolic Church, from the national digital broadcasting package. As a result, Shoghakat lost its public broadcaster status. Although authorities described the move as a technical change resulting from new legislation, the Lemkin Institute noted that no other channels were affected by the law, raising concerns of selective enforcement.
According to the statement, the decision may conflict with Article 18.1 of Armenia’s Constitution, which recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church’s exclusive historical mission in the nation’s spiritual and cultural life. The Institute also warned that the move could undermine constitutional guarantees of media pluralism and freedom of expression by depriving the Church of a key platform for cultural and spiritual communication.
Placing the situation in a broader historical context, the Lemkin Institute highlighted the Armenian Apostolic Church’s role as a central guardian of Armenian identity since the fourth century, particularly during periods of foreign domination, genocide, and exile. The statement drew parallels between current developments and historical patterns observed during the Armenian Genocide, when Ottoman authorities systematically targeted clergy and intellectuals as part of a strategy to dismantle Armenian national cohesion.
While stressing that the present situation cannot be equated with the mass violence of 1915, the Institute warned that the logic underlying identity erasure often begins with the criminalization and delegitimization of institutions that embody collective memory and moral authority.
The Institute also linked the current internal pressures on the Church to Armenia’s geopolitical environment, including ongoing normalization efforts with Turkey and Azerbaijan’s growing regional influence. It cautioned that the marginalization of the Church risks aligning Armenia’s internal policies, intentionally or otherwise, with long-standing external strategies aimed at weakening Armenian cultural cohesion.
In its conclusion, the Lemkin Institute called on the Armenian government to halt what it described as politically motivated actions against the clergy and to reaffirm its commitment to religious freedom, pluralism, and constitutional governance. It also urged international human rights organizations and observers to closely monitor developments in Armenia, warning that the erosion of religious institutions has historically preceded broader campaigns of societal fragmentation.
