Six priests, including a bishop, were detained in Armenia
This morning there were high-profile arrests in Armenia. We are talking about the priests of the Aragatsotn diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, lawyer Ara Zohrabyan told Sputnik Armenia. Among them was Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan.
“At the moment, the Investigative Committee includes priests Paren Arakelyan (rector of Saghmosavank), Manuk Zeynalyan, Hayk Sahakyan, Gevond Gapoyan, Mkrtich Yeranyan,” the lawyer clarified.
The lawyer also reported that a number of civilians had been detained. There have been no official comments from law enforcement agencies yet, and the reasons for the detention of the clergy remain unclear. However, Zohrabyan suggests that what is happening is connected with the recent statement of Aram’s father in an interview with Public Television. In this interview, the priest alleged coercion to participate in opposition rallies in 2021.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the Investigative Committee, according to Zohrabyan, does not provide information about the whereabouts of Bishop Proshyan. The head of the investigation team claims that he has no information about the whereabouts of the bishop.
“This is a blatant violation of the rights of Bishop Mkrtich (in the world Hayk Proshyan). Such behavior of a state body clearly falls under Article 421 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (forced disappearance),” the lawyer emphasized.
The conflict within the Aragatsotn diocese has been brewing for some time. Previously, one of the priests, Aram Asatryan, systematically published critical posts directed against the foundations of the AAC. After a disciplinary sanction was applied to him for violating the rite of baptism, Asatryan reported harassment by Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan. In an interview with Public Television, he claimed that the head of the diocese forced him and other priests to participate in opposition protests in 2021. Later it became known that, based on Asatryan’s statements, one of the pro-government publications appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office with a demand to initiate criminal proceedings.
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Published on: 2025-10-15 12:46:00
Source: www.mk.ru
