Christian Rights Group Accuses Pashinyan of Interfering in Armenian Church Affairs

Christian Solidarity International has criticized an Armenian government report on the Armenian Apostolic Church, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration of interfering in the Church’s internal affairs and pursuing a campaign to remove Catholicos Karekin II.

The Switzerland-based Christian human rights organization said in a Sept. 28 statement that it rejected the government report “in its entirety,” challenging both the way it was prepared and the evidence used to support its conclusions. CSI called on the government to withdraw the document and abandon efforts to replace the head of the Church.

The government report, released Sept. 24, was prepared by the Public Relations and Information Center of the Prime Minister’s Office on Pashinyan’s instructions. It examines what the government describes as a deep crisis within the Armenian Apostolic Church and lays out a five-step plan for addressing it.

The report identifies 16 areas of concern, including alleged violations of clerical celibacy, financial opacity, improper use of Church property, politically motivated activity by clergy, favoritism in ordinations and divisions within Armenian dioceses abroad. The government says the document is based on publicly available material and contains more than 250 citations and references.

CSI questioned whether such a review should have been conducted by an office under the prime minister, arguing that the government body responsible for the report does not have the authority or expertise to make judgments on theology, canon law and the internal governance of the Church.

The organization also challenged the quality of the evidence, saying the report relies heavily on media reports, YouTube videos and social media posts, including material published by Pashinyan himself. CSI said some accusations came from clergy who had been disciplined by the Church or had longstanding disputes with Karekin II.

“The report is not the product of an independent inquiry or of any impartial or judicial process,” CSI said.

CSI President John Eibner, who signed the statement, also argued that publishing serious allegations involving clergy while legal proceedings are underway risks undermining the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.

The statement comes amid a prolonged confrontation between Pashinyan and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Pashinyan has publicly called for Karekin II to leave office and has questioned his legitimacy as Catholicos. The prime minister has also backed efforts by a group of bishops seeking Karekin II’s resignation. In August, Pashinyan told parliament that reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church had been included in his government’s 2026-2031 program.

After the government report was released, Pashinyan went further, saying it showed that the situation inside the Church was more serious than he had previously believed. He accused Karekin II and his supporters of having “seized” the institution.

CSI rejected the government’s broader argument that the Church leadership has become improperly involved in politics. The organization said the Church’s public positions should be viewed in the context of the 2020 Artsakh war and the mass displacement of the region’s Armenian population in 2023.

The Church has historically occupied a distinct place in Armenian public life. Armenia traditionally recognizes the adoption of Christianity as the state religion in 301, making it the first country to do so. Over the centuries, the Armenian Apostolic Church became closely tied to the preservation of Armenian religious, cultural and national identity, particularly during periods when Armenians lacked independent statehood.

That history is central to the current dispute. CSI argues that the Church’s role in national life does not give the government authority to intervene in its leadership or determine who should serve as Catholicos.

The organization said the Armenian Apostolic Church is autonomous and self-governing and that any process to remove or replace the Catholicos must take place under the Church’s own rules.

CSI called on Armenia’s international partners, including the United States, European Union and Council of Europe, to raise the issue with the Armenian government and press authorities to respect the Church’s autonomy and Armenia’s human rights obligations.

The government, for its part, says it is not seeking to undermine the Church’s doctrine or canonical order. In announcing the report, the Prime Minister’s Office said any reform should ultimately be carried out by the Church itself, with the state acting within its constitutional and legal powers.

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