Think Tank Releases Report on Armenia Church-State Tensions
AMISP releases white paper on the separation of church and state in Armenia
The Aram Manoukian Institute for Strategic Planning has released a white paper examining deteriorating relations between Armenia's government and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. The 32-page August 2026 report, authored by three Ph.D. scholars, argues that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's administration has conducted an unlawful campaign against the Church, including attempts to remove Catholicos Karekin II and prosecute senior clergy.
The authors assess these actions against Armenia's constitution, domestic law, and the European Convention on Human Rights, concluding that authorities have failed to demonstrate legal necessity or proportionality for state interference. The report notes the Church remains one of Armenia's most trusted institutions, with 77.7% public approval, and argues that weakening its independence threatens civil society and democratic checks on power. The authors also express concern that Western governments have not consistently applied human rights standards to Armenia despite its geopolitical alignment with the West.
