Armenian legal expert warns of ‘red lines’ crossed in state-church relations

Anti-church measures taken by the Armenian authorities have crossed “red lines” and risk serving the interests of the country’s adversaries, constitutional law expert Gohar Meloyan said on Thursday.

Addressing parliamentary hearings, Meloyan, a member of the Strong Armenia party, described what she sees as a troubling shift in the country’s legal and political climate, marked by selective justice and political interference in religious affairs.

“A reality has emerged in Armenia where clergymen are detained, philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan has been held for expressing support for the church and even religious liturgy is subject to political editing,” Meloyan told lawmakers.

Her remarks came during hearings initiated by the opposition Pativ Unem faction, focusing on a draft parliamentary statement on the current state of relations between the state and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Meloyan also criticized the arbitrary application and interpretation of laws, pointing to practices she labeled as selective and informal justice. “The distortion of law and the prevalence of selective enforcement undermine the very legal nature of the state,” she said.

According to Meloyan, the erosion of constitutional norms and the weakening of the rule of law constitute a growing security concern. “This deficit in constitutionalism is not merely a legal issue, it is an emerging threat to national security, particularly legal security,” she added.

Framing the issue in broader terms, Meloyan warned that targeting the church strikes at the core of Armenia’s identity. “When the church is targeted, our identity is targeted. It weakens the state’s immune system,” she said.

She further stated that international partners and organizations disapprove the government’s anti-church campaign, adding that such developments are viewed abroad as “unacceptable and alarming”.