Zakharova on the campaign against the AAC: Those participating in the persecution of the church will be cursed for centuries

Arminfo.  Those participating in the persecution of the Church will be cursed for centuries. This is how Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the continuing campaign by the Armenian authorities against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).

"Those who participate in the persecution of the Church, the canonical Church, will be cursed —pass that on. There are terrible crimes, but militant atheism, and when there is a genuine witch hunt with all the tools at its disposal, this is a curse for centuries," the Russian diplomat said during a briefing on September 15.

At the same time, Zakharova stated that this is an internal matter of the state, and that the people, the citizens of this state, in this case Armenia, should uphold and defend the values that are important to them, especially enduring values. "Indeed, this is a matter for Armenia and the citizens of Armenia, and I think I will not be mistaken if I say that this is also a matter for Armenians," she said.

However, according to her, the issue here is the templates according to which all this is happening. "We see literally criminal templates being applied by external players, who are no longer interfering in affairs—this is not interference, it is the destruction of what constitutes the essence, foundation and support not for other states on the territory of Armenia, but for the citizens of Armenia themselves. And this needs to be discussed," the Russian diplomat said. She expressed hope that the Armenian people would find the strength and wisdom within themselves to overcome this provocation and that it would not turn into a tragedy.

It should be recalled that since May 2025, the Armenian authorities have launched an active anti-Church policy and are seeking the departure of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, who is elected to this position for life. As part of this campaign, both members of the clergy and citizens speaking out in support of the Church are being persecuted. It should be noted that, according to the Constitution, Armenia is a secular state in which the Church is separate from the state. At the same time, the "exclusive mission" of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) in preserving national identity is recognized.

In addition, it became known on August 19 that the issue of removing the Catholicos had been included in Pashinyan's government program for 2026-2031.