The European Union is accused of ignoring the persecution of the Armenian Apostolic Church

The European Union has found itself at the center of a scandal following accusations of bias regarding the political situation in Armenia and of supporting Nikol Pashinyan’s government, despite reports of repression against the opposition and the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to Christian Today, legal representatives of opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan have initiated proceedings against the EU, claiming that Brussels is turning a blind eye to Yerevan’s departure from democratic norms.

Relations between the church and the state in Armenia have seriously deteriorated since Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018 and following the defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. According to available reports, the Armenian government has ordered the arrest of several bishops and imposed a travel ban on the head of the Church. For their part, the Armenian authorities claim they are trying to shield the Church from “anti-state” elements, accusing the senior clergy of calling for the overthrow of the legitimate government.

Attorney Robert Amsterdam, representing the opposition, emphasized that the EU has ceased to be a neutral observer and has effectively sided with the government, which is carrying out mass arrests and persecuting critics. The prosecution also questions the legitimacy of the recent parliamentary elections, the results of which were contested by the “Strong Armenia” party.

In response to these accusations, European Union representatives cited preliminary reports from the OSCE ODIHR mission, according to which the elections in Armenia took place under conditions that offered citizens a “real choice.” The EU also noted the existence of external pressure on the republic and called on all parties to resolve disputes exclusively through legal mechanisms.