Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently claimed in Parliament that Hovhannavank, like many other heritage sites, is under the Government’s balance sheet and only granted to the Armenian Apostolic Church for free use. However, an investigation by Hetq.am refutes this, stating that both the monastery and its land are registered property of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The report points to a 2005 government decision under Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, which transferred ownership of Hovhannavank and numerous other churches and monasteries to the Armenian Church. The land in question, approximately 0.78 hectares, has been officially registered with the Cadastre Committee under the Church’s name since March 25, 2005.
Documents obtained by Hetq from the Cadastre confirm that both the land and structures belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, protected by Article 60 of Armenia’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to possess, use, and dispose of legally acquired property.
The article criticizes the Prime Minister’s assertions as factually incorrect and warns that activities involving defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan (formerly Father Aram) and his supporters are taking place on private religious property, thereby violating Church rights.
It also cites Article 17 of the Constitution, which affirms the separation of religious organizations from the state, suggesting that recent government rhetoric and support for defrocked clergy conflict with constitutional principles.
Earlier, Pashinyan stated: “If I’m not mistaken, Hovhannavank, like many other monuments, is on the government balance sheet, and some churches are granted to the Armenian Apostolic Church for free use. Where there’s no spiritual life, only intrigue and manipulation, we have the moral and legal grounds to return such monuments to the public.”
