On behalf of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) and our 14 chapters across Europe, we write with deep concern ahead of your official visit to Armenia on Monday, 30 June.
Your visit comes at a critical moment for the Armenian people and their democratic future. As you are certainly aware, the unfolding situation surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church, headquartered in the Holy See of Etchmiadzin is rapidly becoming not only a domestic institutional crisis, but a broader test of Armenia’s democratic resilience and constitutional balance.
In recent days, the government of the Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has escalated an unprecedented campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, including verbal attacks against Catholicos Karekin II, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Church by using language that is at times vulgar and deeply inappropriate, along with delegitimizing accusations. This has been followed by arrests of senior clergy such as Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and threats to forcibly intervene in the internal life of the Church, an institution central to Armenia’s identity and social cohesion. This morning, security forces attempted to make an incursion into the Holy See, and the situation in Armenia is now extremely tense.
Equally troubling is the government’s tendency to brand any form of domestic opposition as “pro-Russian”, regardless of the individual’s actual stance. This tactic of Mr Pashinyan disguised as part of a so-called anti-Russian policy is dangerously misleading. It is eroding political pluralism, crashing free expression, and suffocating Armenia’s fragile democratic space.
This moment matters deeply for the European Union. The EU’s credibility as a democratic partner is at stake. If Armenia is to build a resilient, inclusive, and democratic future in line with its aspirations for closer cooperation with the EU, then political pluralism, freedom of expression, and institutional balance must be protected and not sacrificed in the name of temporary political expediency.
We therefore respectfully urge you to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and to meet with leaders of opposition parties in the National Assembly as well as independent voices from civil society. Doing so would send a powerful signal: that democracy must not be reduced to a single voice; that the EU stands firmly for democratic values in action, not only in principle; and that law enforcement institutions exist to serve and protect citizens and not to carry out the will of a single individual, even if he is the prime minister. The rule of law, freedom of expression, and human rights must always prevail.
We remain at your disposal for any further context or support you may require. Thank you for your continued commitment to democratic values and to strengthening the EU’s partnership with the people of Armenia.