Armenian Justice Minister: No immediate changes to Constitutional  status of the Church

ArmInfo.  Given the important role of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) in the country, there are currently no plans to make amendments to the constitutional  provision regarding its privileges: this issue has not yet been  considered by the Constitutional Reform Council.  Armenian Minister  of Justice Srbuhi Galyan made this statement at a press conference in  Yerevan on February 4 in response to questions regarding the Prime  Minister's authority over the election of the Catholicos and whether  the Church's status would be maintained in future constitutional  updates.

In this regard, the Minister decided to recall why the Constitution  includes a separate provision regarding the special status of the  AAC. "Even in professional circles, there's still a lack of  understanding of the purpose of this provision," the Minister of  Justice asserted. According to Galyan, the existence of this separate  provision underscores the special status of the Armenian Apostolic  Church compared to other religious organizations, which have a  separate status guaranteeing freedom of conscience, religion, and  expression.

"This constitutional provision precludes other religious  organizations from claiming discriminatory treatment. If the Armenian  Apostolic Church were considered a religious organization, this would  lead to precisely this problem," Galyan concluded. When asked which  article of the Constitution grants the Prime Minister power to  intervene in Church leadership decisions-given the Church's  constitutional autonomy-the Minister did not cite a specific article.  Instead, she started a lengthy discussion stating that no individual  in the country, including the clergy, is exempt from the law. She  remarked that the law prohibits the commission of crimes, including  the "preparation of terrorist acts."  Galyan ignored the presumption  of innocence until proven guilty, appealing to unfounded allegations.

Recall, according to the Constitution of Armenia, the Armenian  Apostolic Church is separate from the state and has a special  mission. However, since May of last year, the country's authorities  have been pursuing an active anti-church policy and seeking the  removal of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, who is elected to  this position for life. This campaign has targeted both clergy and  citizens who support the Church. To date, four high-ranking clergy  have been imprisoned on trumped-up charges as part of this anti-  church campaign, and approximately a dozen more are under  investigation.