Epress.am News from Armenia
That which is connected with violations concerning the identity of religious groups is not true, considering the fact that there is no law in the Republic of Armenia which prohibits or restricts the activities of a religious organization, there is no law with which they can enter and inspect the religious structure, said Center for Assistance and Rehabilitation for Victims of Destructive Cults (Sects) Alexander Amaryan at a press conference today in response to a request by Epress.am to comment on the recently published US State Department 2010 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, which outlined the situation in Armenia, including citing numerous instances of restrictions on religious freedom in the country.
In one case cited by the report, the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation reported that it was unable to rent large premises for annual gatherings. The group reported that it had applied unsuccessfully to more than a dozen premises (mostly stadiums) that were privately owned or were owned or managed by state or local government bodies. In some instances the group had already signed contracts that were later revoked. The group alleged that the owners and managers of the premises were pressured by the Armenian Church and representatives of law enforcement bodies into turning down the requests of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Amaryan, however, refuted this, saying that all of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ gatherings took place at either the Mika stadium or “Armo’s building” in Nubarashen (formerly, Sovetashen) district in Yerevan.
“On top of that, they make it so that it’s a friendly affair, that is a football event or something, so the police maintain law and order. That, that they’re not allowed [to rent premises] is not true,” he said. According to Amaryan, in many cases, in Armenia, they’re actually afraid to prohibit those gatherings.
“How? The Council of Europe will shake its finger at us. France records the barriers, France introduces a criminal article in legislation, imprisonment up to 8–10 years, a fine of up to 500,000 euros,” Amaryan doesn’t understand how the EU state can do all this, but not Armenia.
“Why does the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation consider Jehovah’s Witnesses’ literature to be extremist? [While] Armenia allows it to be formulated by a customs point, to enter Armenia. Why? There are many questions to the state, not to the church or to individuals, but the state. Because as of today we’re dependent on the Council of Europe’s finger,” he said.
According to Amaryan, there are 100,000 “followers of destructive sects” in Armenia.
“Those not deemed destructors have joined the destructors, together to resist the decisions of the Armenian Apostolic Church and government. While 350,000 people [according to official statistics, Levon Ter-Petrossian gathered 351, 222 people during the 2008 presidential elections], imagine, voters, during elections… what’s that come to. And for that, certain politicians today are preparing to enter into negotiations with religious group representatives for elections,” he said, however, declining from naming any politicians’ names.
Recall that according to the US State Department report, Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders in Yerevan say that, as of June 1, 2010, 76 of their members remained in prison for refusing to perform military service or alternative labor service on conscientious and religious grounds, and one member remained in pretrial detention. Jehovah’s Witnesses representatives stated that all of the prisoners had been given the opportunity to serve an alternative to military service rather than prison time but had refused because they objected to the fact that the military retained administrative control over the alternative service.
On this matter, Amaryan brought forth the following example: “Let’s imagine that I, a young man, want to go live abroad. I refuse to serve in the army, I don’t perform alternative labor service, what should I do? Court, there’s no question. The Council of Europe is standing on my back, they give either a conditional [release] or sentence me for one-and-a-half years. According to parole laws, I can come out [having served] one-third [of my sentence]. I come out after half a year.”
Then, continued Amaryan, any embassy will provide a visa. “They went, arrived there, leading Jehovah’s Witnesses are already doing what, being financially secured, securing their education, securing their homes. For that, suffering for six months is worth it, to have a bright future later.”
“All of this is not that religious as it appears at first glance. This is first and foremost a psychological influence, where people’s religious sentiments are being speculated,” said psychologist Karine Nalchajyan, another participant in today’s press conference.
Nalchajyan noticed that Jehovah’s Witnesses always walk around in pairs, because, according to her, they control each other. “That is, they totally control from the inside, everything is controlled, beginning from the most intimate details of one’s personal life.”