The True Motives and Illegal Nature of the Armenian authorities’ Anti-Church Policy
1. The spiritual leader of Azerbaijan has sent a letter to the World Council of Churches against the Armenian Church, clearly using the messages of the campaign initiated and led by the Prime Minister of Armenia against the Armenian Church—challenging the Church’s authority and discrediting its clergy, even using the same wording as the Armenian Prime Minister.
2. According to Azerbaijani state propaganda, the campaign by the Armenian authorities against the Armenian Church serves their interests: the Armenian Church must be neutralized to make it easier to settle the so-called “Western Azerbaijanis” in Armenia. This is the Azerbaijani authorities’ program of Armenia’s occupation under humanitarian guise; they have turned it into an item on the international agenda, even bringing the issue to the United Nations by official letter.
3. The campaign against the Armenian Church not only involves gross violations of the status of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, but also contains elements of various offenses under the RA Criminal Code. Moreover, these acts are carried out by abusing official powers or influence, through public means, and by a group of individuals holding official positions.
4. It is a deliberate act of dividing society, sowing hostility between people not only within Armenia but also in the Diaspora.
5. It weakens the foundations of Armenian state, severely damaging the country’s international image by fostering insults and intolerance. The Armenian Church is portrayed as a promoter of violence, whereas the Church has always called for solidarity and peace. In other words, this is a campaign that is not only anti-Church in nature but also anti-Christian.
Head of the Center for Law and Justice – Fund “Tatoyan”, former ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan
