Law grants privileges to Armenian Apostolic church – US Department of State

The Armenian law grants certain privileges to the Armenian Apostolic Church that are not available to other religious groups, the US Department of State has said in their latest report.

The authors annual document addressing the situation with religious freedoms in world’s different countries note that the Armenian Apostolic Church is allowed to have permanent representatives in different organizations, such as hospitals, orphanages, boarding schools, military units, and places of detention, unlike other religious organizations which may have representatives in these places only upon request.

“The law mandates that public schools offer a secular education. Only personnel authorized and trained by the government may teach in public schools. Courses in the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church are part of the public school curriculum and are taught by public school teachers. The Armenian Apostolic Church has the right to participate in the development of the study program and textbooks for this course, as well as define the qualifications for teachers of the course. The Armenian Apostolic Church may also nominate candidates to teach the course. All religious organizations may establish groups for religious
instruction to train their members, using facilities belonging to or set aside for them. The law grants the Armenian Apostolic Church the right to organize voluntary religious classes in state educational institutions using the facilities and resources of those institutions,” they say.

The authors note that the law is also tolerant to conscientious objectors who can choose noncombatant military or labor service instead of combat trained military personnel.

They say that despite the legal ban on foreign foreign-based denominations, such prohibition was not enforced by the government.

Jehovah’s witnesses are characterized as the most vulnerable religious group.

“According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, during the year 13 Jehovah’s Witnesses were convicted for evasion of military and alternative service. Eight of those sentenced received a 30-month sentence, four a 24-month sentence, and one a 36-month sentence.
 

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, 58 of their members remained in prison on December 31 for refusing, on religious grounds, to perform mandatory military or alternative labor service. Jehovah’s Witnesses representatives stated that the prisoners refused the alternative to military service because they objected to the military's control over the alternative service,” reads the document.

It further points out to the communities of other minority religious groups, such as Roman Catholic, Armenian Uniate, Orthodox Christian, Baptist, various groups of charismatic Christians, as well as Yezids, Jews, Sunni Muslim Kurds, Shiite Muslims, pagans etc.
 

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