New Regulations on the Alienation of Churches

The government has approved a bill stipulating that the alienation of churches and other worship structures must occur only with the consent of the executive body. Under current legislation, such alienations of monuments only require prior notification to an authorized body and do not necessitate government approval.

The lawmakers from the "Civil Contract" faction of the National Assembly, Sisak Gabrielyan and Taguhi Ghazaryan, justified the amendment by emphasizing that worship structures hold cultural, spiritual, religious, or historical value, and their alienation should be subject to special regulations. According to the justification, in such cases, the state must be able to grant or deny consent.

The bill states that churches, monasteries, temples, chapels, and other worship structures listed in state registries may be alienated to a third party, either for compensation or gratuitously, only with government consent. The owner is required to notify the authorized body in writing in advance, providing transaction drafts and documents proving ownership, while the government must respond within a two-month period.

The government can refuse consent if there is a risk of the property being used for non-public or non-constructive purposes, if the transaction contradicts public interests, or if the documents are falsified. Circumventing these requirements may lead to the invalidation of the transaction.

It should be noted that the members of the "Civil Contract" faction, Sisak Gabrielyan and Taguhi Ghazaryan, also authored a bill that stripped the "Shoghakat" television company of its public broadcaster status.