In Armenia, "United Youth League" collects 15,000 signatures "against sects"

On November 12, in Yerevan, in front of the residence of Armenian President, "United Youth League" held the last action within the campaign to collect signatures "against the sects". Participants of the action demand to establish an agency to control the activities of religious organizations and to amend the legislative code to introduce a definition of "soul hunting".

The collection of signatures was launched in this March, and, in total, about 15,000 persons left their signatures. This was reported by representatives of the public organization "United Youth League". "When you see what is happening around you, when the sects bring people to insanity, when people are being hypnotized to be easily controlled, you cannot sit on your hands," stated Sevak Ovannisyan, Co-chair of the public organization.

According to Zarui Dilanyan, one more participant of the action, while preaching, representatives of religious organizations act "not properly". According to her, using psychological pressure, members of different religious organizations "are trying to attract people to their sects, using different mechanisms, methods and types of manipulation."

According to Vardan Astsatryan, Chief of the Department for National Minorities and Religious Affairs under the Government of Armenia, the society should "bring those issues to the discussion of the general public without regard to any European values."