Participants of Nagorno-Karabakh conference proposed to institute criminal proceedings against members of non-traditional confessions

Participants of the conference "Motherland and Faith" in Stepanakert city (Nagorno-Karabakh) have accused a number of non-traditional Christian religious movements in violation of human rights and implementation of "undermining the political system with financing from abroad". In turn, believers offered to compose a list of features defining the concept of the "sect".

One of the issues discussed at the event was called "Sectarians, human rights and national security".

According to military expert David Djamalyan, "at the very beginning of democratic reforms in Armenia and Karabakh the society was penetrated with various religious sects, which, in fact, started conducting destructive activities".

Political scientist Vagram Irakyan stressed in his speech that "most of the sects have an impact on government policy", and offered to institute criminal proceedings against members and leaders of religious groups, recognized by the authorities as sects.

Psychologist Karine Nalchadjyan said that "it is difficult to work with people" trapped in these religious groups. "This work is very assiduous and often ineffective. The victims of the sects are mainly poor and mentally unstable people," said the psychologist.

In January 2009 the new Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" came into force, according to which the religious organizations in Nagorno-Karabakh were to be registered within six months. As a result, 5 of 11 religious organizations, headquartered in Armenia, received the state registration. They are the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), the Armenian Catholic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church and the Fraternal Movement associated with the AAC.

Two religious communities – "Revival Fire" and "Jehovah's Witnesses" – were refused of the state registration.

Sargis Avanesyan, Chairman of the Council of the Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nagorno-Karabakh, stressed in the interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that this religious organization was the worldwide one and not a sect. Furthermore, the believers themselves are against sects.

"Jehovah's Witnesses is a worldwide Christian organization. We are against sects. What does the word "sect" mean? It is an offshoot of the main. The main is the Bible," said Sarkis Avanesyan and continued: "If the Karabakh authorities are against Jehovah's Witnesses, then here is the place to recall the words of Jesus that true Christians will be persecuted."

Levon Sardaryan, the head of the religious community " Revival Fire", who attended the conference, stressed that to call any group a "sect" is possible only with the necessary estimation markers.

"Worldwide, there are clearly defined criteria for determining a sect. We belong to the Evangelical church, we are the faithful," said Levon Sardaryan and continued: "The fact that our religious community has not been registered means nothing. Our community has been registered in Armenia."