Hovhannavank, Ohanavan.
Armenia’s government is facing mounting criticism after being accused of instigating a crackdown on the world’s oldest Christian Church, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAHC), amid accusations that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is tightening his grip on power.
Senior clergy, parishioners, and prominent supporters have reportedly been arrested, including Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, sentenced to two years for criticising the government, and businessman Samvel Karapetyan, detained after defending the Church and stripped of his assets.
The escalating conflict between church and state follows Armenia’s 2023 defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, which saw more than 100,000 Armenians displaced.
Critics say Pashinyan’s actions reflect a desperate attempt to silence opposition and weaken one of the nation’s most trusted institutions ahead of the 2026 elections.
Religious and human rights groups have condemned the persecution, warning that Armenia is repeating the dark repression of its Soviet past.
Christianity came to Armenia in the early 4th century and became the nation’s official religion in 301 AD, making it the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state faith.
Image credit: Robert Levonyan
France, Germany. Romania, Latvia. Lithuania, Armenia and others, all sinking beneath the weight of European authoritarianism. The worst example out of Europe proper the UK, which looks like a island prison.
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