“The Armenian Center for Political Rights, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, the Forum for Freedom of Religion in Europe and the International Christian Solidarity (Christian Solidarity International) issued a joint statement.
“Statement of OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. About Sinirlioglu’s statements regarding the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church
The Armenian Center for Political Rights, the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, the Forum for Freedom of Religion in Europe and Christian Solidarity International express deep concern and condemn the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Turkish citizen Feridun H. Regarding Sinirlioglu’s recorded remarks, in which he essentially expressed his office’s willingness to provide support to the Armenian government in the campaign to oust Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, leader of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (HACE). The fact that the highest-ranking official of an organization whose fundamental obligations are the protection of human rights, although fleeting, nevertheless expresses willingness to support such a request, is deeply disturbing and requires immediate and public clarification.
We are aware of the circumstances under which those statements were made. They were received by Russian pranksters, who presented themselves as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the phone conversation. The conversation was published on July 8. The pranksters in question have a documented history of targeting politicians and government officials in order to obtain statements on sensitive public issues. We do not condone the use of such deception. And although we realize that the conversation was provoked by a trick, the words of the general secretary reveal such a position that is incompatible with the duties of his position.
During the conversation, the General Secretary accused the Catholicos of All Armenians of politicizing the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. Then he agreed to “study” (“look into”) how the OSCE can support the person posing as the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Catholicos, in deposing him. When the General Secretary asked if he could “change the Catholicos”, the person pretending to be the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia replied that he was “considering all possible ways”. He asked for the Secretary General’s support in case the move was met with any public criticism, to which the Secretary General replied: “OK, I’ll do my best, I’ll try.” At any stage of the conversation, the Secretary General did not object that the forced removal of the religious leader by the state would violate the fundamental freedoms that the OSCE is called to protect.
Principle VII of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act defines the fundamental commitment of the OSCE: “respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.” That commitment has been repeatedly reaffirmed and is binding for all 57 OSCE participating states, including Armenia. The autonomy of religious organizations and the freedom to independently regulate their internal and canonical affairs are key components of that guarantee. Since the Secretary-General is entrusted with the responsibility of keeping that commitment, he should not give even modest support to a government that is bent on deposing a church leader.
These statements cannot be considered in isolation. Since May 2025, the Armenian government has been conducting a coordinated and continuous campaign against HASE, part of a broader attack on democracy and the rule of law. Prime Minister Pashinyan publicly called for the removal of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, published a “road map” of the steps to depose him, and also made baseless accusations against the Catholicos and high-ranking clergymen. The Catholicos and a number of bishops have been banned from leaving the country, and high-ranking clergy have been detained on criminal charges that appear to be politically motivated. All in all, these actions are state-organized efforts aimed at subordinating the Church to the will of the government, endangering the principle of separation of church and state enshrined in the Armenian Constitution.
The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is not an ordinary party to a political dispute. Since the adoption of Christianity as the state religion by Armenia in 301, the Church has played a crucial role in preserving the language, culture and national identity of the Armenian people. That role is recognized by Article 18 of the Constitution of Armenia as its “exclusive mission”. Contrary to the General Secretary’s claim that the Catholicos is politicizing the Church, he actually tried to fulfill that Constitutional mission by protecting the rights of the Armenian people, including the Armenians who were ethnically cleansed from Nagorno Karabakh in 2023. Therefore, any attempt by the state to depose the Catholicos violates not only Armenia’s international obligations in the field of religious freedom, but also the country’s constitutional order.
Therefore, we call on Secretary General Sinirlioglu to
● publicly clarify and cancel any suggestion that the OSCE may support the dismissal of the Catholicos of All Armenians or interfere in any other way with the internal governance of HASE;
● reaffirm the OSCE’s commitment to the protection of freedom of religion or belief in Armenia, in accordance with its obligations under the human dimension,
● dialogue with the Catholicos of All Armenians to ensure full protection of the rights of HASE, its clergy and believers.
We are willing to meet with OSCE representatives to present additional information and our concerns, and will continue to closely monitor the activities of the organization’s leadership. The head of the OSCE should be a protective barrier against violations of religious freedom, not their voluntary supporter. According to the published statements, General Secretary Sinirlioglu has failed this examination and is now obliged to clarify his position.
John Eibner President, International Christian Solidarity
Jan Figel, President, Forum for Religious Freedom in Europe
Rafael Ishkhanyan, President, Armenian Center for Political Rights
Siranush Sahakyan, President, Helsinki Committee of Armenia,” the announcement reads.
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