A new report accuses Armenia’s government of carrying out an escalating campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAHC). 

The report, from Christian Solidarity International (CSI), was written by international lawyer and historian Dr Peter Flew following a fact-finding visit to Armenia. It raises concerns about religious freedom, judicial independence and the rule of law, and coincides with major European diplomatic meetings in Yerevan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government is accused of using arrests, criminal charges, travel bans and public attacks to pressure the country’s ancient national church and its leadership. 

In the foreword, CSI President Dr John Eibner says the government is using “the coercive power of the state” to try to impose political control over the Armenian Apostolic Church. 

He warns that Western leaders building ties with Yerevan should “judiciously consider the contents of this disturbing report”. 

Dr Flew writes that Armenia is “systematically violating the freedom of religion or belief” in its campaign against the Church. 

He says the prime minister has used hostile rhetoric to undermine the Church’s authority, while bishops, parishioners and supporters have faced detention or legal restrictions. 

At the centre of the dispute is Catholicos Karekin II, the spiritual leader of Armenians worldwide. 

The report says Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party’s manifesto has sought to remove him and reshape the Church’s internal governance, bringing it under state influence. 

Dr Flew calls this “unconscionable”, comparing it to a secular leader attempting to overthrow the Pope. 

The report also argues that the ruling Civil Contract party’s election manifesto marks a significant escalation, and risks crossing legal and constitutional boundaries by turning internal religious matters into state policy.

It further details what he describes as continued attacks on the Catholicos, including public statements questioning his legitimacy, government-backed efforts to encourage dissenting bishops, and pressure surrounding liturgical practices. 

The report says these actions are designed to undermine the Catholicos’ authority and weaken the Church from within. 

It also points to alleged state interference in Church affairs, including the civil court reinstatement of a bishop removed by the Mother See, criminal charges against senior clergy, and travel bans that prevented Church leaders from attending major ecclesiastical events abroad. 

Legally, the report grounds its criticism in Armenia’s Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights case law. 

It argues that the state must remain neutral toward religious communities and cannot dictate religious leadership, sponsor rival factions or interfere in ecclesiastical governance. 

The report also places the church-state conflict within Armenia’s wider geopolitical crisis following the wars over Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Dr Eibner argues that the Church remains a major defender of Armenian national memory and identity, writing that it has served as “the sturdiest bulwark of the Armenian nation since its founding 1,700 years ago”.

He added: “This national church kept the Armenian nation united for centuries when it was stateless. It sustained the Armenian nation throughout the great Armenian Genocide and the chain of anti-Armenian massacres, pogroms, ethno-religious cleansings that proceeded and followed it.”

CSI says the government has portrayed the Church as a national security threat, including by implying links to Russian influence. 

The report rejects those claims, saying the Armenian Apostolic Church is not part of the Russian Orthodox Church and that the government has not provided convincing evidence of foreign-directed activity. 

The report highlights several cases, including the continued detention of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, arrests or restrictions involving other clergy, the case of church benefactor Samvel Karapetyan, and incidents involving parishioners during church services. 

It also includes a list of people described as prisoners of conscience or individuals subject to travel bans, house arrest or supervision. 

A brief response from the British government, cited in the report, notes that it recognises the violations, is monitoring the situation and expects Armenia to act in line with its constitutional and legal obligations while ensuring fair and transparent judicial processes. 

However, the report suggests such statements fall short of directly addressing serious violations of religious freedom.

In its conclusion, the report says the infractions are “not isolated incidents”. 

It continues: “Taken together, they constitute a coordinated campaign that undermines the separation of church and state, and violate the autonomy of a religious community in a manner incompatible with Armenia’s constitutional order and its international obligations.” 

It warns that the campaign has already produced a human cost, with clergy and laypeople facing intimidation, detention and criminal proceedings. 

“Now is the moment for principled and coordinated action,” the report concludes. 

It urges Armenian authorities to cease political attacks on the Church, calling on Western governments – including the US – to tie deeper relations with Armenia to respect for religious freedom, transparency, democracy and the rule of law by defending the Church’s independence, pushing for the release of detained individuals, and engaging more actively with civil society groups monitoring human rights in Armenia.

By Lauren Kaufmann

At Project Save, thirty black-and-white photographs capture the tenderness, turmoil, and enduring spirit of the Armenian experience.

Winslow Martin: My Armenia (1999-2008), Project Save Photograph Archive, 600 Pleasant Street Gallery, Watertown on view through May 30.

Project Save Photograph Archive in Watertown is devoted to collecting and preserving photographs that record the Armenian experience. With more than 150,000 images, the archive documents the everyday lives of Armenians, in their home country and around the globe. Massachusetts is home to a sizeable Armenian population—about 30,000 according to the 2020 census—and Project Save Photograph Archive is one of several Boston-based organizations devoted to bringing the history and culture of the people into sharper relief.

Founded in 1975, the organization recently doubled its space at its Watertown home. The additional room gives Project Save Photograph Archive the opportunity to mount exhibitions of contemporary photography and host public programs. The organization is celebrating the expansion with a stunning exhibition of photographs: Winslow Martin: My Armenia (1999-2008).

Martin’s thirty black-and-white photographs are dreamy, humorous, unsettling, and poignant. Placed together, his stirring images evoke the warmth of the people, the rugged beauty of their land, and the heartache that has touched so many lives.

Although he isn’t Armenian, Martin has immersed himself in the culture, taking more than seventeen trips since 1999. Using his camera to capture everyday rituals, pastoral settings, family gatherings, and unexpected violence, Martin has produced a body of work that carries the emotional weight and natural beauty of life in Armenia.

Martin began his sojourns to Armenia with Father Dajad Davidian, the pastor from St. James Armenian Church in Watertown. Since then, Martin has made dozens of solo trips, returning with images that capture the interplay of religion, family life, and political uncertainty woven into everyday Armenian life. The tempestuous history of the country seems never-ending, and Martin’s photographs mirror the ups and downs of everyday life.

In The Day After October 27, 1999, Martin captures a moment of uncertainty, as a crowd gathers to learn what has happened in the House of Parliament. An older man angrily points his finger while onlookers search his face for answers. That day, a group of armed men had stormed the Parliament, killing the Prime Minister and several government officials. The incident led to a state of emergency and increased political tension.

On a much lighter note, Wedding Reception shows a celebratory gathering at a table piled high with food and drink. The label explains that Martin was on his way to Stepanavan one night when he noticed lights and muffled sounds from a building in the distance. When he arrived at the building, Martin was greeted by a man who invited him in, and introduced him to the crowd of 600 revelers. Martin took photographs of the event and partook in a series of vodka toasts. The photo and its description comprise a lovely snapshot of a chance encounter that reveals the warmth and openness of the Armenian people.

In Chkalofka, two men sit together, chatting. Martin says that he had just returned from a wedding when he noticed the men. Martin notes that this image is another sign of the hospitality that is woven into the fabric of Armenian life. He says that the tradition is especially notable in small villages, where people gather together while sharing coffee, fresh fruit, and chocolate.

In Picnic in Tsaghadzor, Winslow has come upon two teenage boys dangling across two large tree limbs, one right above the other. The boy splayed across the top limb gazes out at Winslow, while the boy below stares off into the distance. The boys are in the countryside, and their expressions are inscrutable. Are they weary after completing a difficult chore? Where is the picnic? Who else is at the picnic, and where are they? The composition — the boys lying in a tree against a misty pastoral background — is strangely captivating.

Shushi, Artsakh offers another image of contrasts. A young child with raised arms appears to be jumping in front of abandoned buildings. The text informs you that Shushi had been a place of “living hope” until its citizens were killed by ethnic cleansing in 2023. The caption reads: “A homeland was gone, a history was stolen by armed force and threats of extinction. A joy that cannot be is what now persists.”

In a lovely photograph called Pavstos Buzand Street, Yerevan, a man stands in the back of a pick-up truck, turning to smile at the woman sitting in the cab. She smiles to herself without turning to meet his gaze. A young boy stands next to the man, perhaps their son. It’s a sweet slice-of-life shot, a passing moment in these people’s lives. There’s no label accompanying this image, but you feel a tenderness passing between the man and woman. Despite the lack of background context, the image speaks for itself.

Of the thirty photographs in the exhibition, ten are accompanied by interpretive text. In most cases, the title of the photograph provides you with the necessary information. And, even when you’re not sure of the back story, the images are so striking and artfully composed that you can appreciate them for their intrinsic beauty. That said, there are a few images that would benefit from some explanatory text. For example, a magical photo called Tightrope Walker has a surreal quality; a young boy walks a tightrope with a mountain looming in the background. But then I wondered: Is it really a mountain or is it a backdrop? It’s such a dreamy image that it’s hard to know exactly what you’re looking. While I thoroughly enjoyed the photograph, I left wanting to know more.

Martin’s work is full of these fleeting moments. The appeal of his work lies in his gift for catching the ephemeral nature of life. Through his many trips to Armenia, Martin has used his camera to express the simple, yet profound, beauty of a people who cherish their country and culture. It’s a beauty that’s all the more precious knowing all that these people have endured over so many years.

Lauren Kaufmann has worked in the museum field for the past 14 years and has curated a number of exhibitions.