The abolition of military chaplaincy and restrictions on Archbishop Mikael are attacks on religious freedom

 Serious constitutional and legal concerns arise when the state hinders individuals’ freedom of conscience, belief, and religion. Constitutional expert Gohar Meloyan said this in an interview with Aysor.am, referring to both the abolition of the military chaplaincy service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and restrictions imposed on His Holiness Archbishop Mikael, currently at the Medical Center.

Meloyan emphasized that the Constitution of Armenia guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and obliges the state and its bodies to ensure these fundamental rights.

“We have a problem with fundamental human freedoms. In the cases of our servicemen and Archbishop Mikael, we see that these constitutional norms are under attack,” she said.

Regarding the restriction of Archbishop Mikael’s right to participate in liturgy and receive Holy Communion while hospitalized, Meloyan described it as an unjustified state interference:

“The state, without any valid reason, hinders the exercise of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This intervention effectively obstructs the reception of Holy Communion, imposing an unjustified restriction on both clergy and believers.”

On the dissolution of the military chaplaincy service by the Ministry of Defense, Meloyan highlighted its dual impact: affecting both the rights of servicemen and the autonomy of the church.

 

As for the dissolution of the military chaplaincy service in the Armed Forces by the decision of the Ministry of Defense, Meloyan sees the issue not only from the perspective of the rights of servicemen, but also from the perspective of the autonomy of the church.

 

“Previously, the church assigned clergymen with its own hierarchy to serve as chaplains. Now, by ministerial order, appointments can be made without prior church service experience, based solely on spiritual education. This constitutes interference with both the freedom of conscience and religion of military personnel and the internal affairs of the church,” she explained.

Meloyan stressed that Armenia’s Constitution and laws regulating church-state relations explicitly prohibit such interventions.

“This is not only a restriction on individual freedom of conscience and religion, but also an unconstitutional intrusion into the freedom of a religious organization,” she said.

The expert warned that recent months have seen repeated executive actions that undermine church autonomy.

“We are witnessing attempts to interfere in church affairs to discredit it. In a normal legal and democratic country, such actions should have clear legal consequences. These are unacceptable and unconstitutional,” Meloyan concluded.