The Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide has alerted to a growing state repression against the Armenian Apostolic Church, denouncing arrests, intimidations, and the use of the judicial system to silence its religious leadership. The warning was made in a public statement dated December 28, 2025.
According to the Institute, these actions pose a threat to the country’s democratic institutions and directly affect one of the historical pillars of Armenian identity.
The case of Archbishop Ajapahyan
The denunciation comes in a context of sustained tension between the Armenian Government and the Church. One of the most recent episodes is the situation of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, primate of the Diocese of Shirak, detained since June 2025 as a political prisoner, after being sentenced to two years in prison for alleged critical statements against the Executive.
On December 26, the archbishop underwent surgery at the Izmirlian Medical Center. The next day, December 27, he received a visit from His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The hospital reported that his condition is satisfactory and he remains under medical supervision.
Arrests and judicial pressure on the clergy
The Lemkin Institute denounces that the persecution of the religious hierarchy reproduces historical patterns of identity destruction, recalling that genocide does not manifest solely through physical violence, but also through cultural and spiritual erosion.
Since mid-2025, Armenian authorities have detained several bishops and priests, accusing them of political interference and corruption. Among them are the arrests of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan in October and Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan on December 4. Church representatives and opposition sectors have described these processes as politically motivated.
Measures against church institutions
The statement also criticizes the withdrawal of the Shoghakat television channel, historically linked to the Armenian Apostolic Church, from the national digital package. The Institute considers that this decision, presented by the Government as a technical adjustment, selectively affects the Church’s main media platform and raises doubts about respect for pluralism and religious freedom.
Call to authorities and the international community
Finally, the Lemkin Institute urges the Armenian Government to immediately cease actions against the clergy, respect the separation between Church and State, and guarantee religious freedom. It also calls on international observers and human rights organizations to closely follow the evolution of events, warning of historical parallels that must not be ignored.