Supreme Spiritual Council Condemns Government Pressure

From November 4-7, a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council was held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians. This was reported by the Mother See. The sessions were chaired by the Chancellor of the Mother See, His Eminence Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan.

The Supreme Spiritual Council strongly condemned the overt illegal encroachments and pressures on the rights of the Church and clergymen, as well as the spread of hate speech and intolerance through anti-church rhetoric, emphasizing that such phenomena undermine both the principle of freedom of conscience and speech, and public solidarity. It was also recorded that the accusations and preventive measures against clergymen are based on non-legitimate facts and contradict international standards for the right to a fair trial and the restriction of personal freedom.

The Council reaffirmed the position of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to support the establishment of justice and to protect the rights of the servants of the Church and the faithful people, once again calling on law enforcement agencies to cease the illegal criminal proceedings for the sake of justice and to release the imprisoned clergymen and civilians. It was also deemed necessary to take steps towards restoring the rights of the Mother See over Hovhannavank and its liturgical life, protecting the spiritual-canonical life of the faithful, and ensuring the normal service of the clergy.

Lawyer Ara Ghazaryan reported on the judicial processes against military and civilian persons held in Baku and the protection of the rights of Artsakh Armenians. The blatant cases of human rights violations by Azerbaijan were presented, and it was emphasized that the so-called trials being conducted have nothing to do with justice and contradict the fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law.

The speaker emphasized the importance of the involvement of both the Church and international organizations, as well as the implementation of legal steps aimed at the release of the prisoners through the European Court of Human Rights and UN human rights bodies.

The Supreme Spiritual Council stressed the need for continuous attention and coordinated steps regarding the issue of the prisoners. The Church's readiness to continue its efforts in cooperation with Sister Churches and international religious structures to contribute to the return of the prisoners and the application of legal mechanisms for human rights protection was reaffirmed.

Gevorg Danielyan, a member of the SSC and Doctor of Law, reported on Azerbaijan's encroachments on the spiritual-cultural heritage of Artsakh, presenting facts that testify to a systematic policy carried out by Azerbaijan aimed at the destruction and appropriation of Armenian historical and cultural values. It was noted that the purpose of historical falsification sponsored by the Azerbaijani authorities is to erase the traces of the Armenian identity of the region and to try to legitimize their claims to the Armenian heritage.

The SSC emphasized the importance of securing the support of the widest possible international circles and, in particular, further expanding the work carried out by the Church for the preservation of the spiritual-cultural heritage of Artsakh.

Mikael Malkhasyan, PhD in History and Associate Professor, in his report, addressed the concerning provisions found in public education programs and Armenian history textbooks. The speaker presented examples that show how various facts of Armenian history are distorted and events are misrepresented, belittling the historical role of historical figures and events, church and state figures.

The Supreme Spiritual Council noted with deep concern that such approaches endanger the continuity of the national identity and historical memory of generations, emphasizing the need to value national symbols and to form respect and proper attitude towards them, also highlighting the mission of the Church in preserving the national identity, historical memory, and spiritual values of the people.