A fourth senior cleric of the Armenian Church has been detained amidst the ongoing conflict between state authorities led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II. The arrest was due to suspected involvement in illegal drug trafficking. The cleric was held on December 4 at the Investigative Committee for two months. He was originally called in for questioning related to a video posted online and was arrested following the interrogation. The senior cleric claims he is not in the video, yet a church inquiry is underway for breaching the vow of celibacy.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, a significant figure within the Armenian Church, serves on the Supreme Spiritual Council, chairs the Legal Advisory Committee, and is part of the Committee for Awarding Awards and Disciplinary Issues.
Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II expressed concern, stating, “In these challenging times for our homeland, the anti-church actions by the authorities, involving unlawful measures and repressions against senior clergy, are deeply troubling. You are aware that three hierarchs, a prominent national benefactor, and other Armenian citizens are imprisoned. We have now learned of the arrest and imprisonment of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. Nonetheless, we remain hopeful that this trial will be surmounted and these harmful acts will be countered.”
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