Armenian Apostolic Church loses right to acquire land without charge

Armenia’s government approved an amendment to the Land Code that strips the Armenian Apostolic Church of the right to acquire land ownership free of charge.

The bill will now be submitted to parliament for approval, Caliber.Az reports via Sputnik Armenia.

However, the Land Code will retain provisions allowing the church to use state- and community-owned land free of charge.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly stressed the need to increase the financial transparency of the church, including in matters of property use. 

Tensions between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church escalated following sharp remarks by Pashinyan toward the clergy and his initiative to change the procedure for electing the Catholicos, granting the state a key role. 

Against this backdrop, the heads of three dioceses—Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikael Ajapahyan, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, as well as the Chancellor of Etchmiadzin, Arshak Khachatryan—were previously arrested on various charges.

By Jeyhun Aghazada