Bishop Hovakim Manukyan: We call upon the government of Armenia to end the persecution and discrimination of the Armenian Church

The Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland expressed its deep concern and outrage over an incident that occurred on May 28, when the entourage of the Catholicos of All Armenians was obstructed by the police force as they attempted to enter the Sardarapat Memorial.

“Dear Faithful and Community Members,
We write to you with a heavy heart to express our deep concern and outrage over a recent and appalling incident that occurred on May 28, a sacred day for all Armenians. On this day, the entourage of the Catholicos of All Armenians was obstructed by the police force as they attempted to enter the Sardarapat Memorial. The Catholicos of All Armenians and the clergy had come to this sacred place to pray for the well-being of the country and to commemorate the memory of the Armenian martyrs of 1918.

The victory at Sardarapat, celebrated by the entire Armenian people with a fight to the death, is a symbol of our unity, victories, and awakening. Many Armenian clerics participated in the celebration of that victory and sacrificed their lives for the homeland. Both during the Soviet era and throughout the period of independence of the Republic of Armenia, there has never been a case when any Armenian citizen was forbidden to visit the Sardarapat Memorial on May 28, regardless of who was there at the time. This includes the visits of the Catholicos of All Armenians, whose presence was pre-arranged and known to state-owned structures.

Regrettably, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. This has become a distressing policy in Armenia, reflecting a pattern of persecution and discrimination against the Armenian Church. The unacceptable and condemnable conduct of the police is a disgrace to all Christian Armenians and millions of Armenian believers.

I condemn this act and urge you, the faithful and members of our diocese and community, to join us in expressing your condemnation of this staggering act. We must stand united in our demand for accountability. We call upon the government of Armenia to end the persecution and discrimination of the Armenian Church,” Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain, said in a letter.