U.S. Department of State`s religious freedom report criticizes Armenia
Baku, November 20 (AZERTAC). The U.S. Department of State has released the International Religious Freedom Report 2010, criticizing religious discrimination in Armenia.
“There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period,” the report says.
It underlines: “There were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. According to some observers, the general population expressed negative attitudes about all minority religious groups.”
“From July 1, 2009, to June 1, 2010, 35 Jehovah`s Witnesses were sentenced to imprisonment for evasion of military or alternative service. Twenty of those sentenced received a 24-month sentence, and the remaining 15 received a 30-month sentence.”
“According to Jehovah`s Witnesses leaders in Yerevan, as of June 1, 2010, 76 of their members remained in prison for refusing to perform military service or alternative labor service on conscientious and religious grounds, and one member remained in pretrial detention,” the report notes.
“Minority religious groups at times continued to be targets of hostile sermons by Armenian Church clerics, and members of minority religious groups experienced societal discrimination and intolerance, including in the workplace. Various television stations continued to broadcast discussions in which representatives of the Armenian Church and other participants labeled religious minority groups as enemies of the state and national unity.”
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