Archbishop Becomes Latest Christian Political Prisoner in Armenia, as White House Releases National Security Strategy Affirming “Religious Freedom” as a Core Right

50 Percent of Archbishops in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church are Now Illegally Detained, According to Amsterdam & Partners LLP

International Human Rights Firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP Condemns Escalating Persecution of Armenian Apostolic Church; Calls for Immediate Release of Imprisoned Clergy

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amsterdam & Partners LLP, acting as counsel to Samvel Karapetyan, prominent businessman and supporter of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, strongly condemns the Armenian government’s intensifying campaign of repression against religious leaders and institutions. The arrest and pre-trial detention of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan this week marks the fourth high-ranking clergyman imprisoned in recent months, following the detentions of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan. As a result, half of Armenia’s archbishops now languish in unlawful detention, alongside Karapetyan, who has been held for over four months on baseless, politically motivated charges.

“There is no room for silence on Armenia,” said Robert Amsterdam, Founder and Managing Partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP. “The European Union’s €15 million funding to support Armenia’s upcoming elections violates legal obligations under Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union, which requires that financial allocations promote democracy, rule of law and human rights. Armenian authorities are using fabricated charges and judicial intimidation to silence dissenting voices and dismantle the independence of the Church. These politically motivated attacks are consistent with a global ‘War on Christ’ were seeing in other countries, including Ukraine, right now.”

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is urging the immediate release of all imprisoned clergy and political prisoners in Armenia, including Archbishops Arshak Khachatryan, Bagrat Galstanyan, Mikayel Ajapahyan, and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan.

The recently released White House National Security Strategy document affirms religious freedom as a “core right”: “In particular, the rights of free speech, freedom of religion and of conscience, and the right to choose and steer our common government are core rights that must never be infringed. Regarding countries that share, or say they share, these principles, the United States will advocate strongly that they be upheld in letter and spirit. We will oppose elite-driven, anti-democratic restrictions on core liberties in Europe, the Anglosphere, and the rest of the democratic world, especially among our allies.” [emphasis added] Though at a geographic crossroads between Europe and Asia, Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP urges the United States and its allies to advocate strongly for the upholding of these principles in Armenia, opposing elite-driven, anti-democratic restrictions on core liberties. The firm calls on democratic governments and international institutions to demand concrete steps to restore judicial independence and end politically motivated prosecutions.

About Amsterdam & Partners LLP

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm based in London and Washington, DC, specializing in political advocacy and human rights. For more information about the firm, please visit www.amsterdamandpartners.com.