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Persecution of nonapostolic religious organisations in Armenia. Part 2
The following is a report made by UK citizen, Patrick Henderson. It speaks for it self.
REPORT ON CURRENT STATUS OF CHURCHES IN ARMENIA
BACKGROUND
This report is compiled to catalogue a number of disturbing instances
which have occurred in the non-Orthodox Churches of Armenia with whom we
work. This work as either in connection with our ECHO project or our
interaction with the Armenian people.
In particular it is written to record the events surrounding the arrest
and detention of Romik Manoukian who is the Erebuni Office Manager and
Translator of the Love Armenia ECHO project.
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
Romik Sureni Manoukian - Mantashian St 5/2, Apt 2
On 19 April Romik Manoukian (RM) went to the soup kitchen at Nantashyan
St, 1, for a Pentecostal Church meeting. This local Church meets there
every Wednesday evening. RM's wife and child were at the meeting and
witnessed the following events. At 1750 5 men (2 in field uniform without
hats and 3 in civilian clothes), one with a pistol in his hand, came into
the hall shouting for people to leave quietly and asked for the leader. RM
identified himself, showing his LA identity badge and his driving licence,
and was told to tell the people to leave. They took him away saying he had
ignored draft papers, saying they would release him later. It should be
noted that Romik had never received any such papers. At this point a 64
year old man (who has since requested not to be identified and is,
therefore, called X in this report) asked to accompany RM because he
thought the men were drunk. They were taken in a black Volga car to what
is believed to be a centre for Erkrapah located to the right of the
Preservation Factory on Arshakunyats Ave. From information which we
subsequently received on 23 April, they were taken inside and held
separately for a short time and then taken in a white Niva to the regional
draft centre where they were kept in the car with a soldier who had a
submachine gun. They were then taken to the Army Police Barracks which is
located just beyond the reservoir on Admiral Isakov St (on the way to the
airport). The entrance to the Barracks has a small guardhouse and the
Barracks themselves are located approx. 400m up the side road.
The UK Relief Co-ordinator (RC) was not informed until 1030 on 20 April.
He immediately went to RM's house, questioned his wife re his arrest and
began to piece together the sequence of events detailed above. He visited
the Erkrapah Centre on Arshakunyats Ave and was told that RM had been there
at 1900 the previous night but had been taken by the police. There were
extensive fruitless discussions and the RC went to the local Police HQ
where he was well received by the Chief who explained that they had not
been involved in any draft and suggested he went to the holding centre on
the edge of the city. RC went to the holding centre and was told all
detainees had been taken to Karabakh. As a last resort he went to the Army
Draft Centre in RM's area and had a long interview with the Colonel in
charge who, after checking the list, told him that RM's name was not on
the Draft List. He also stated that the Draft in his area had finished on
13 April. We later discovered, as detailed above, that his was the Draft
Office to which RM had been taken.
On 21 April RM's wife arrived at the RC's house with X who had gone with
RM on the previous evening. He informed us that RM was being held in the
Police Barracks in the road to the airport along with other Pentecostal
Christians. He said they had been held since the night of their capture
without food or water with nothing on which to sit and that they had been
asked questions re their faith (on Sunday, 23 April, X withdrew all this
information and said that they had received the same food as the guards
and coffee, had been questioned about their faith and discussed points of
Biblical teaching). Accompanied by a British interpreter the RC went to
the Barracks and saw the Deputy Governor, Gevork Iskandarian. There was a
long discussion and he admitted they were holding RM on his religious
beliefs but that on 25 April he would be questioned about these beliefs
by people from Etchmiadzin. The Deputy Governor had questioned him from a
criminal point of view and could find no grounds on which to hold him. The
RC explained he was not interested in political or religious matters but
merely required RM back at his work as he was urgently needed to assist in
the running of an Armenian Government approved ECHO feeding programme. He
was told this could be cleared with the Governor alone and agreed to
return later.
At 1500 the RC returned to see the Governor, Hamlet Khorkhoruny. This was
a difficult interview and initially the Governor said RM was there for
questioning on his religious beliefs. When pressed by the RC on the
grounds of RM being required for an ECHO feeding contract, a telephone
call was made (we believe to the Deputy of Sarkissian) after which the
Governor said RM was being held for evading the Draft and could not be
released. At 1530 the RC presented a letter to State Minister Bagoyan
which was followed by an interview when the State Minister agreed to find
out further information and try to obtain RM's release if he felt that the
facts indicated that this should be done.
As at 24 April there is no further information but it should be noted that
during the evening of 23 April, X arrived at night it the RC's home to
withdraw his story. He was obviously frightened and asked for the page on
which the RC had written his notes regarding X. It should also be noted
that RM attended the IBTM Bible college on UK and is registered in the
Religious Affairs Ministry as a preacher.
Erebuni Pentecostal Church
On the evening of 19 April men entered the Erebuni Pentecostal Church
during a meeting and slapped the face of a member. They kicked him in the
back. Other members of the congregation were also assaulted but I have not
spoken to them so the details are unconfirmed.
Other Incidents
On Easter Sunday at an open air service, a helicopter flew over the
location and was followed by a civilian car arriving carrying soldiers
with rifles which they fired in the air demanding the cessation of the
meeting. When this continued they approached the Bishop and threatened him
with a rifle. Women then surrounded the Bishop and were struck with rifle
butts by the soldiers.
There have been other reported incidents of Pentecostal Churches in the
north of Yerevan and in Gumry having meetings broken up and young men
removed.
Pentecostal members employed on the LA ECHO project have also had Police
and members of the KGB visiting their homes in Yerevan and Vanazor and
questioning them.
CHARISMATIC CHURCH
Yerevan
On 21 April at 0750 Artur Simonian, the Pastor of the Church, and Edward
Petrossian, the Administrator, were arrested separately in their homes and
taken to a regional centre of Erkrapah for questioning by men in civilian
clothes. They also took all religious literature from their homes. In the
questioning they explained that the Charismatic Church did not stop their
members carrying out military service or teach that weapons should not be
carried. At 0930/1000 they were released and told they would not be
bothered again.
On 21 April at 2100 there was a knock on the door of the offices of the
Charismatic Church, the night guard opened the door and 15 people burst
in. He was punched, kicked and knocked unconscious and came round to find
someone removing his military papers, identity documents and money from
his pockets. He has recently completed his military service. The office
had been systematically wrecked. This involved the smashing of computers
and printers, breaking of telephones, smashing of furniture, emptying out
charity food from bags and generally destroying the office. In the
subsequent check all records of members of the Charismatic church had been
removed. This damage had been recorded on video enclosed.
Outlying Areas
During the week beginning 17 April the Charismatic Church sent out
missionaries to various villages. In all cases they are sent on the
invitation of local people and accommodation as supplied locally. In 4
districts they had people beaten up. In Khallissa the Regional Mayor had 2
18/20 year old girls beaten up. They were then taken by some men for the
bus station and left for Yerevan. In Suremaxav, Ararat Region, 3 girls
were stoned and beaten by unknown people. They were told to leave and did
so.
Yerevan Rent of Halls
In Yerevan the Charismatic Church has applied in writing to rent halls to
the Religious Affairs Committee. They have received only verbal answers
from Lazarus Sudjian that they could not rent. By law they should be
notified in writing within a week.
It should be noted that the Charismatic Church was registered in Armenia
on 31 March 1993 as the Charismatic Congregation of the Republic of
Armenia. This registration took one year to obtain instead of the
statutory month. 10 of the leadership are currently serving in the Army.
BAPTIST CHURCH
Although we give a lot of help to the Baptist Church the Pastor was "too
busy" to see us on 23 April 1995. Through an intermediary we were told his
Sunday Service that day had been broken up on their Church on Nar Doss
Street. All young men and the Pastor were taken away. The Pastor was later
released but his newly donated Volkswagen van from Germany was removed. To
our knowledge the young men and van are still held.
7 DAY ADVENTIST
This Church is on Nar Doss Street. We had a report that it had been bombed
on Saturday night and as it is beside the Baptist Church we called in.
This Church had not been touched but their Church in Aragats had a fire
bomb through the window. This is the 4th time this Church has been
attacked this year.
This statement has been recorded by Patrick Henderson from the United
Kingdom and is true to the best of his knowledge.
