Interesting Developments Expected in Clergy Cases: 'Joghouvourd'

According to the daily newspaper 'Joghouvourd', on October 15, the leaders of the Aragatsotn diocese, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, along with 12 priests and three administrative staff members, including an accountant, a treasurer, and a referent, were arrested by law enforcement agencies. Some of them were later released, but several remain in custody.

After the incident, the whereabouts of several priests, including Father Hambardzoum, Father Narek, Father Sargis, Father Oshin, and Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, remained unknown for a long time. Also detained was Father P'aren Kahana Arakelyan, the spiritual leader of the Sahmmasavan Monastery. Currently, three of the aforementioned priests are still in custody.

Appeals against the detention decisions are currently under review at the Court of Cassation of the Republic of Armenia, where developments are anticipated. According to the newspaper, the lawyers argue that the arrests of the clergy are based on unfounded charges. They believe that the Court of Cassation should revise the detention decisions and apply alternative measures of restraint.

It was noted that during the parliamentary budget hearings, Minister of Justice Surbhi Galayan stated that the number of detainees in Armenia currently exceeds that of convicted individuals. This circumstance, according to her, indicates that custodial measures are often applied to individuals whose charges are unproven.

Human rights defenders and lawyers hope that the Court of Cassation will assess the lack of legal grounds for detention and will issue a proportional decision.