Alexander Amaryan, the head of “Relief and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Destructive cults”, does not see any reliable information about Armenia in the U.S. State Department “Religious Freedom” 2013 report. “The human rights defenders are getting money from them all day long by providing such false information. There is no restriction in Armenia for religious organizations. As a proof, “Jehovah’s Witnesses’” September literature has already passed the customs checkpoint. What restriction? No one obstacles their activities, they are provided with everything,” said Mr. Amaryan to Aravot.am. Recall that the report reads that last year there were numerous reports about the activities of religious organizations and the places of their gathering.
As said by Mr. Amaryan, the religious organizations are granted so much freedom that on May, at the request of the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, the National Assembly passed the amendment of the law on alternative service, pursuant to which, the government released all members of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” being imprisoned for refusing compulsory military or alternative service due to their religious reasons. He denied the allegations found in the report that the members of minority religious groups have experienced discrimination, intolerance by the society, including at the workplace. “There is no such thing; there is no intolerance against anyone.”
Mr. Amaryan was surprised especially at the section in the report, which contains discontent that the role of the Apostolic Church is recognized as ethnic exclusive mission. “And are the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” recognized as national church in England or France? Each state has its own national church,” said Mr. Amaryan. He considers the U.S. State Department report an attempt to exert influence on the government. “There are no fundamental arguments in the report, I repeat, they are false information issued by human rights defenders who receive money from abroad. The U.S. State Department wants to receive this kind of information. Armenia ranks the first place in the world on religious freedom.”
ArpineSIMONYAN
Միգուցե նրանք չեն պաշտամունք.
Նրանք ճանաչվում են ավելի քան 200 երկրներում, ինչպես նաեւ բարեխիղճ ձեռք բերող կրոնը. Ով է Հայաստանում իշխանութիւն ունի վիճարկելու իրենց կրոնական համոզմունքներին.
Ես գրազ, որ «եկեղեցին» – ը հետեւում է բոլոր խնդիրները, որ Եհովայի վկաները կարող է ունենալ Հայաստանում: