International lawyer Robert Amsterdam sent an open letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on democratic governance, religious freedom, and the electoral environment in Armenia.
“Dear Madam President Metsola,
I am writing to you on behalf of Mr. Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party. The party has officially announced its decision to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Republic of Armenia.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent statements regarding the Armenian Apostolic Church do not reflect the views and feelings of the overwhelming majority of the Armenian people. Armenia is recognized worldwide as the first Christian nation in the world, and the Armenian people have been deeply attached to their Church, culture, and historical identity for centuries. The Armenian Apostolic Church remains one of the most respected and unifying structures in Armenian society.
In light of these realities, the Prime Minister’s latest campaign against the Church is unprecedented in Armenia’s recent history and raises serious concerns under Armenian constitutional law, European human rights standards, and general principles of international law. Government interference in the Church’s internal affairs, the detention of clergy, the encouragement of schismatic initiatives, and the widespread undermining of the independence of the judiciary are documented in…” Details can be found in a recent report by a group of prominent international human rights lawyers.
These developments should be of grave concern to the European Parliament. This is not only a political dispute but also a challenge to religious freedom, the rule of law, and the democratic values to which Armenia has repeatedly committed in its relations with Europe.
We are particularly concerned by a series of public statements by Prime Minister Pashinyan on his official Facebook page directed against the Catholicos and the Armenian Church. These statements contain language that many Armenians find deeply offensive for a religious institution that is a key element of national identity.
It’s noteworthy that the same person who made these statements just delivered a speech in the European Parliament and was met with applause. It would be reasonable to expect that due consideration would be given to the speaker’s public conduct and activities before granting such recognition or a platform in parliament.
The concerns don’t end there. While Armenian citizens continue to be illegally detained in Baku prisons following the events surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian society has seen little significant effort from the current government to secure their release. This situation has further heightened public concern about the direction the country’s leadership has chosen and its commitment to protecting the fundamental interests of its citizens.
It’s worth noting that the leader of the Strong Armenia party, Samvel Karapetyan, has been in custody since June 18, 2025. Mr. Karapetyan is currently under house arrest, having previously spent approximately 200 days in particularly harsh conditions. The Central Electoral Commission has published a schedule of actions and commitments for political parties ahead of the elections scheduled for June 7, 2026. However, since the court extended Mr. Karapetyan’s house arrest for another month, it is clear that his ability to fully participate in the June 7 elections will be severely limited.
Such legal proceedings not only constitute political persecution but also can be considered direct interference in the electoral process. As the leader of a political party, Mr. Karapetyan is effectively barred from participating in important political events, including consultations and internal party elections necessary for the preparation of electoral lists (the latter must be submitted to the Central Electoral Commission by April 23, 2026).
In light of these developments, we respectfully urge the European Parliament to consider establishing an independent fact-finding mission to examine the current state of democratic governance, judicial independence, and religious freedom in Armenia. Such a mission will play a vital role in preventing further erosion of fundamental freedoms during the sensitive pre-election period.
The Armenian people have long viewed Europe as a partner in defending democratic values, human dignity, and freedom of conscience. Therefore, we believe the attention and engagement of the European Parliament will be essential.
The above documents are necessary and appropriate at this time.
We stand ready to provide the Parliament and its relevant committees with the above documents.
Sincerely,
Robert Amsterdam