Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer, believes that the leaders of Western countries should respond to the criminal prosecution of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. In his assessment, the actions of the Armenian authorities are interference in the affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Amsterdam has previously defended the Armenian Church and compared the situation with the processes that took place around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
According to the lawyer, the authorities are trying to subordinate the Armenian Apostolic Church to the state administration system, ignoring its 1700-year history and role. He claims that the actions against the church contradict the principles of European law and religious freedom.
Amsterdam also noted that Washington and Brussels should not be silent about the situation. In his assessment, the issue goes beyond the scope of Armenia's internal policy and is related to the preservation of religious freedom and the autonomy of the church.
