Arrests of Clergymen Fit into Anti-Church Campaign Against the Mother See: Abrahamyan

Before the attack on the Mother See, the government is making its final preparations. This statement was made by Tigran Abrahamyan, the secretary of the "We Have Honor" faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, during a conversation with reporters near the Central Court of General Jurisdiction in Yerevan, commenting on the arrests and searches carried out in the Aragatsotn Diocese from the early morning of October 15.

According to Abrahamyan, the arrests of 13 clergymen and 3 lay servants completely fit within the logic of the anti-church campaign against the Mother See. "It is evident that for this government, no boundaries exist; it does not matter against whom these attacks and illegalities are being carried out. In this case, in the context of the attacks against the Armenian Apostolic Church, they are systematically trying to target the dioceses through which the church carries out its mission and service throughout the republic," noted Abrahamyan.

The MP referred to the message disseminated by the Investigative Committee of Armenia the day before and the published photographs of "material evidence." The Investigative Committee reported that 3 individuals were arrested, one of whom is the head of the diocese.  "There is no legal basis here. The items presented, including the money, are circulating funds of the diocese. I don’t think it would be news to anyone that donations are being made, that money is being circulated, and that fuel vouchers are also used when providing services; in other words, there was nothing criminal there," he said.