International UOC lawyer becomes defender of the Armenian Church
Robert Amsterdam is going to Yerevan despite threats from the authorities.
International human rights lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who represents the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is now also acting on behalf of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Despite threats from the Armenian authorities to ban his entry into the country, the attorney is set to arrive in Yerevan on August 11, 2025, according to the website of the law firm Amsterdam & Partners.
Amsterdam now represents the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose senior hierarchs in recent months have been subjected to public attacks, legal persecution, and blatant state interference in church affairs by the authorities.
The press service of the law firm reports that security forces have targeted the Church’s top clergy, including an attempted arrest of Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the politically motivated detention of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.
Amsterdam & Partners notes that if Armenia bars Amsterdam from entry, it will constitute a serious breach of its obligations under international human rights law. Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to a fair trial, including the right to a lawyer of one’s own choosing.
It should be recalled that Amsterdam earlier told U.S. Republicans that Ukraine must ensure freedom of religion.
