The European Union has been criticized for its stance on the Armenian Apostolic Church

The European Union has found itself at the center of a scandal over allegations that it has turned a blind eye to the Armenian government’s actions against the Armenian Apostolic Church and opposition figures. Lawyers for opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan have initiated legal proceedings against the EU, claiming that Brussels is providing unwarranted support to Nikol Pashinyan’s cabinet, while ignoring alarming signs regarding the state of democratic institutions in the country. This was reported by the Christian Post.

An official letter sent to the EU emphasizes that relations between the state and the church have sharply deteriorated since Pashinyan came to power in 2018 and following Armenia’s defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. According to available information, the situation has been accompanied by the arrests of clergy, and the head of the church, Catholicos Garegin II, has faced restrictions on leaving the country. Robert Amsterdam, managing partner of the law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP, stated that the European Union has effectively abandoned its role as a neutral observer, effectively condoning the persecution of government critics.

For its part, the Armenian government rejects such accusations. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asserts that his actions are aimed at protecting the state from destructive elements, claiming that some church leaders called for the violent overthrow of the legitimate government. In response to the criticism, a European Union spokesperson cited reports from the OSCE/ODIHR mission, which stated that the elections in Armenia provided citizens with a genuine choice, despite certain problems that Brussels is urging the authorities to address.