Human rights organizations condemn statements by OSCE Sec Gen  supporting removal of Catholicos of All Armenians

ArmInfo. Christian Solidarity International (CSI) joined Armenian and European human rights  organizations in condemning comments by OSCE Secretary General  Feridun Sinirlioglu, which appeared to express support for the  Armenian government's removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and  head of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), Karekin II.

In a statement released on July 23, the presidents of the Armenian  Center for Political Rights, the Armenian Helsinki Committee, the  Forum for Religious Freedom in Europe, and CSI expressed "deep  concern" over the statements by the highest-ranking official of the  Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

A CSI statement obtained by ArmInfo recalls that the OSCE Secretary  General's position was exposed in a prank by Russian pranksters who  called the OSCE Secretary General posing as Armenian Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan. It is noted that in a conversation with the person  posing as Pashinyan, the OSCE Secretary General agreed to "explore"  how his organization could support the Armenian government in  removing the Catholicos.

"That a senior official of an organization whose fundamental  commitments include the protection of human rights is considering  such a request-even in passing-is deeply troubling and requires  immediate and public clarification," the signatories write.

Disapproving of the deception employed by the prankster callers, the  signatories state that Sinirlioglu's words "reveal a position that is  incompatible with the duties of his office."

The signatories call on Sinirlioglu to: publicly clarify and retract  any suggestion that the OSCE will support the removal of the  Catholicos or otherwise interfere in the internal governance of the  Armenian Apostolic Church; reaffirm the OSCE's commitment to  protecting freedom of religion and belief in Armenia in accordance  with its commitments in the humanitarian dimension; and engage with  the Catholicos to ensure full respect for the rights of the Armenian  Christian Church, its clergy, and faithful.

"The government's actions represent a state-orchestrated attempt to  subordinate the Church to the will of the government, jeopardizing  the principle of separation of church and state enshrined in the  Armenian Constitution," the signatories of the appeal note.

The statement was signed by John Eibner of CSI, Jan Figel of the  Forum for Religious Freedom in Europe, Siranush Sahakyan of the  Armenian Helsinki Committee, and Rafael Ishkhanyan of ACPR.

"Now that Nikol Pashinyan has secured an unprecedented third term in  office, it is more important than ever that international  institutions hold his government accountable. We hope the OSCE will  quickly clear up the confusion caused by its Secretary General's  statements," noted Joel Veldkamp, CSI's Director of Communications.

The CSI statement also notes that since May 2025, the Pashinyan  government has been conducting a systematic and sustained campaign  against the Armenian Church as part of a broader attack on democracy  and the rule of law in Armenia.

Pashinyan publicly called for the removal of Catholicos of All  Armenians Garegin II, outlined steps to remove him, and leveled  unfounded accusations against the Catholicos and senior clergy.  Travel bans were imposed on the Catholicos and several bishops, and  high-ranking clergy were detained on criminal charges that appear to  be politically motivated. Throughout its history, the Armenian Church  has played a crucial role in preserving the Armenian language,  culture, and national identity. The Catholicos sought to protect the  rights of the Armenian people, particularly those ethnically cleansed  from Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.