The Supreme Spiritual Council (SCC) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, after concluding a three-day meeting in Etchmiadzin today, released a statement stressing the need to respect and protect the rights and independence of the Church, as well as uphold justice and democracy.

The SCC, the highest executive governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church, condemns what it described as arbitrary and discriminatory actions by Armenian authorities, including the persecution and imprisonment of church members on questionable charges, state interference in church affairs, and efforts to hinder the Church’s operations using government power.

The statement also addresses recent draft laws and regulations proposed by authorities that seek to restrict the legal standing and activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The SCC expresses concern that these initiatives could be used as a pretext to promote anti-church rhetoric and allow its widespread dissemination. According to the SCC, such actions threaten the constitutional basis of Church-state relations, especially the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

The SCC also finds unacceptable what is describes as the “fabricated accusations” made by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan in his speech to the European Parliament on March 11, 2026, where he called the church as “agent of foreign influence”.

The SCC claims this was an attempt to create grounds for justifying the illegal actions conducted by the Armenian authorities against the church and planned further repressions.

The SCC is composed of high-ranking clergy and lay members, some of whom are elected by the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, while others are appointed at the discretion of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

As of late 2025 and early 2026, the church is engaged in a dispute with the Armenian government, which has sought to implement reforms and exert pressure on the current leadership, prompting discussions regarding church autonomy.