Politician: Pressure on the Church is becoming not only a tool of  domestic politics, but also an element of regional influence politics

ArmInfo. The events unfolding in the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church have gone beyond the legal process. Suren Surenyants, leader of the Democratic Alternative party, wrote in a post on his Facebook page.

According to him, this is no longer about the Church, but about the  struggle for freedom. "We are dealing with political pressure, the  purpose of which is not only to neutralize the Church, but also to  limit freedom and ensure the irreversibility of the authoritarian  system. This is not a legal investigation; it is a demonstrative and  vulgar use of state power to suppress a structure endowed with public  influence," the politician noted.

He pointed out that the authorities' goal is clear: to create an  atmosphere of fear and send a signal to all independent structures.  "But does what is happening have only a domestic political context?  The current situation cannot be viewed only in its domestic context.  A few days ago, the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslim Board,  Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, stated that "the Armenian  Apostolic Church has always been a participant in political  processes,  raised in the spirit of separatism and hatred, and today  continues to interfere in state policy, hindering the establishment  of peace in the region." 

This was a direct political message, an attempt to portray the Church  as an enemy and make it the target of diplomatic and political  pressure. And now, shortly afterwards, a criminal prosecution has  begun in Armenia with the same logic of accusations. This coincidence  is not accidental: it testifies to the dangerous confluence of  external incentives and the internal state agenda. Pressure on the  Church is becoming not only an instrument of domestic policy, but  also an element of regional influence policy, the goal of which is to  weaken our spiritual identity and state independence. And it is  regrettable that so-called "civil society" is an active player in  this anti-state process. The starting signal for today's process was  the program presented by Daniel Ioannisyan. This clearly demonstrates  how some "civil society" structures have become executors of state  orders, claiming independence but in reality serving a policy of  restricting freedoms and strengthening control. The Armenian  Apostolic Church has been a pillar of national identity, resistance,  and freedom for centuries. When the government attempts to restrict  it through searches and arrests, not only the Church is at risk, but  also national memory, public freedom, and the foundations of  statehood. The attempt to silence the Church is not only about the  spiritual sphere but also about the destruction of a free society,  the establishment of an authoritarian system where state power  becomes indispensable, suppressing any dissent. If we do not protect  the Church today, we will not be able to protect any fundamental  right tomorrow," the politician stated.