HCA Vanadzor submitted a package of suggestions on the RA draft Law on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations
18:20, June 30, 2017 | News, Own news | Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
On June 1, 2017 the RA Ministry of Justice posted for public discussion on its unified website for publications of draft legal acts the RA draft Law on Making Amendments to the Republic of Armenia Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations.
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor believes that the Draft has many controversial provisions contradicting the generally known principles of human rights and serving a basis for discriminatory treatment towards different religious trends and limitations of their rights.
As a human rights organization, the Organization gives importance to the role and significance of the relations to be regulated by the Draft in establishing a democratic and legal state and prepared a package of suggestions that was sent to the RA Ministry of Justice on June 23, 2017.
The Organization suggested removing from the draft Law any discriminatory regulations. Particularly, first of all, it suggested to regulate by the draft relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church as well, as the draft Law regulates the freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and not regulating such relations in this draft Law is a discrimination and the fact that the Armenian Apostolic Church is a national church cannot serve basis for giving it broader rights and freedoms as compared to other religions/beliefs.
The Organization also referred to the grounds for limiting the rights of religious organizations and based on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, suggested to bring such grounds in compliance with the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights.
HCA Vanadzor gives importance to considering religious organizations legal personalities and suggested under the regulations of numerous international regulations ensuring their right to judicial protection and stressed the role of the state in such commitment.
The Organization, among others, presented a number of suggestions on non-disclosure of religious beliefs and ensuring the right of religious organizations to get financial assistance, etc.