Concerns Must Arise for the Principles of Separation of Church and State

International lawyer Robert Amsterdam has made a post on social media, stating: “The Armenian government’s interference in church affairs is a key indicator of its growing authoritarianism. Mr. Pashinyan’s confident declaration that ‘I am the government’ says everything that needs to be known about this ‘democracy’ often praised by the West.”

Along with the post, Robert Amsterdam published a video discussing the illegal detention of Samvel Karapetyan, the expropriation of HETC, and the government’s loss in urgent international arbitration, specifically noting that the prime minister continues to demand the resignation of all officials in the government who disagree with his decisions, including the highest-ranking official dealing with international legal issues.

Speaking during the same press conference about the statements directed at the church, Robert Amsterdam emphasized, “The behavior of the Armenian government and such a stark deviation from the rule of law should cause serious concern for everyone who believes in democracy and the principles of separation of church and state.”

During that remarkable press conference, the prime minister openly and inappropriately threatened to lead the movement to replace the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholicos. The prime minister’s actions, which evidently stem from his personal motives, have led to accusations of the Catholicos’s ‘inappropriateness.’ Those accusations are entirely outside the scope of the Armenian Constitution and the prime minister’s authority.

According to the rules of the Apostolic Church, politicians cannot interfere in the decisions of bishops in the process of selecting a spiritual leader. This is truly a disgrace. The prime minister fails to realize that faith and worship are beyond the boundaries of his power. The prime minister seems convinced that since he led the popular revolution, he is entitled to change every aspect of life in Armenia.

I can only say that anyone who observes the prime minister’s behavior—both towards my client and the church—should be profoundly concerned about the rule of law and the future of governance in Armenia,” wrote international lawyer Robert Amsterdam.