Armenian Apostolic Church accused Armenian law enforcement bodies of violating the constitution

The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has issued a harsh statement accusing the Armenian law enforcement agencies of violating the constitution of the republic. The reason for this was a ban on leaving the country imposed on representatives of the AAC Supreme Spiritual Council, TASS reported.

As it became known, seven of the 21 members of the Supreme Spiritual Council were charged with obstructing the execution of the judicial act, and a measure of restraint in the form of subscription not to leave the country was imposed on them. The AAC statement noted that such actions of the authorities are a gross violation of basic human rights and are aimed at disrupting the normal activities of the Church, in particular the upcoming Bishops’ Meeting in Austria.

“The Holy See strongly condemns the repeated interference of the authorities in the internal affairs of the Church, which is a clear violation of the constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia, ” the statement reads. The AAC called on the authorities and law enforcement agencies to act strictly within the framework of the legislation and respect the autonomy of the Church.

Earlier we reported that the Armenian authorities are attempting to prevent Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and members of the Supreme Spiritual Council from attending the Council of Bishops scheduled for February 16-19 in Austria. This was stated by lawyer Ruben Melikyan, commenting on the new criminal case against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).