The National Assembly’s Inquiry Commission: A Veil to Conceal Illegal Actions


The case concerning the violation of the Armenian Church’s rights could be brought directly before international judicial bodies, provided it is substantiated that domestic legal avenues are ineffective. Anna Sargsyan spoke with Alvina Gyulumyan—the first judge from Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and former Deputy President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia.

And who will protect believers from the state?


According to official data from the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia—based on the most recent census conducted in 2022—approximately 95.4 percent of Armenia’s population (2,793,042 people) are followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Are the Armenian authorities, who are carrying out an anti-church campaign, infringing upon the religious freedom or other rights of 95.4 percent of their own country’s population? Anna Sargsyan spoke with Ara Ghazaryan, a lawyer and expert on human rights issues.

The Illusion of Democracy and Failed Attempts to Subjugate the Armenian Church


Why do secular authorities strive to subjugate spiritual authority—especially in the 21st century, when the era of a religion-based world order seems long past? Some authorities do not even hesitate to trample upon the law and legal rights in this struggle. What underlying motives drive the campaign against the Armenian Church? Has the struggle for the rule of law in Armenia ever been this intense? What can the Church do in this new situation? Anna Sargsyan spoke with analyst Levon Zargaryan.

Azerbaijan exerts political pressure through encroachments on Armenian culture


Official Baku’s coordinated assault on Armenian culture and the rights of Armenians continues. It was recently revealed that Azerbaijan has appealed to Interpol to include the khachkars (cross-stones) and frescoes of Dadivank in the "Stolen Works of Art" database. An Azerbaijani official has even accused the Armenian side of presenting them as Armenian works of art abroad. Anna Sargsyan speaks with Raffi Kortoshian, co-director of the Research on Armenian Architecture Foundation.

Neither the Government nor the National Assembly Can Decide Who Leads a Religious Organization


"Encroachments against the Armenian Church will land the Armenian authorities in serious trouble before international bodies. Neither the government nor the parliament can decide who leads—or does not lead—a religious organization, how advancement occurs, or which internal regulations are adopted. Commissioning a report and raising certain issues does not create any legitimate grounds for interfering in these matters or for enacting unconstitutional laws. That sort of thing might happen in neighboring Azerbaijan." — Anna Sargsyan in conversation with Anna Melikyan, a lawyer for the NGO "Protection of Rights without Borders."

Why do the authorities resist the National Church?


Is the national agenda a concept of political science? Which institutions drive the realization of this agenda? How do persistent injustice and the humiliation of national dignity erode state security from within, and what roles do the elites and the Church play in this hybrid war? Why does Azerbaijan target our historical narratives, and why has the national agenda become a primary prerequisite for preserving statehood today? A conversation between Anna Sargsyan and political scientist Ara Poghosyan.

How a State Is Built and Dismantled


What does it mean when the incumbent government's program is unconstitutional, courts are adjudicating unconstitutional proceedings, and the citizen is left unprotected—yet is simultaneously the very source of power?
How are states dismantled and created, and why is an independent judicial system considered an essential attribute of statehood? What constitutes the usurpation of power, and what roles do the social contract and the media play in upholding democracy?
Anna Sargsyan spoke with public administration expert Hovhannes Avetisyan.
 

Does business have an identity?


How is the world moving from globalization to deglobalization, both in the economic and business spheres? It turns out that business is a continuation of geopolitics.
How does Christian leadership differ from just good leadership, and can a businessman be guided by faith and morality? Can being a member of a traditional church hinder doing business with a modern mindset, if the term “Christian leadership” itself originated in Western-Protestant culture? Anna Sargsyan spoke with businessman and social entrepreneur Manuk Hergnyan.
 

Cases against the Armenian Church must definitely go to the European Court of Human Rights: expert


How do the illegal processes carried out by the state-legal system against the Armenian Church affect the international reputation of our state, especially when we are initiating EU membership? Is the government program, which contains an unconstitutional provision regarding interference in the internal autonomy of the Armenian Church, illegal? Can the Constitutional Court maintain its principles in this political situation and consider the government program unconstitutional? Anna Sargsyan spoke with Isabella Sargsyan, an international expert on freedom of religion and belief.

What price will our state pay for violating the rights of our church


What is constitutional immunity? How does it extend to religious organizations? Who is the guarantor of the protection of this right? How will international bodies assess the illegal proceedings initiated against the Catholicos of All Armenians and the clergy? Can the believers of the Armenian Church file a collective lawsuit for the violation of their religious feelings and freedom? Anna Sargsyan spoke with Vahe Torosyan, Candidate of Legal Sciences.

Why is the Catholicos of All Armenians being accused of performing his duties


Our times are being described as “days of historical shame.” Legal experts are sounding the alarm that the Republic of Armenia is summoning the Catholicos of All Armenians to court not on charges of committing any crime as a citizen, but precisely for being the Catholicos of All Armenians. What does this mean for the Armenian Church, the Armenian people, and the statehood of Armenia? Anna Sargsyan spoke with Bishop Bishop Zakaria Baghumyan.

Who is behind the campaign against the Armenian Church?


Human rights activists are sounding the alarm about dangerous processes that are actually leading to the loss of statehood under the guise of increasing sovereignty. One of its most obvious manifestations is the creation of the illusion of a Western security “umbrella,” which leads the country to Turkish and Azerbaijani dependence, as well as undermines food security and targets the Armenian Church. What is the only way to counter these global programs and what is actually happening? What geopolitical programs does today’s Armenia serve? Anna Sargsyan had an extensive conversation with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Dzyunik Aghajanyan. 
 
Watch the first part of the conversation HERE: www.shoghakat.am/am/telecasts/38391