Father Asoghik: church stands united, ready for arrests

PanARMENIAN.Net - Father Asoghik Karapetyan wrote on Facebook that the entire clergy of Armenia is ready to face arrest: “We are all at the Mother See.”

“Dear ones, the entire clergy of Armenia is prepared to be arrested. We are all at the Mother See.

They have come to the Mother See. Either they take us all from Holy Etchmiadzin, or they take our corpses,” he wrote.

Attorney Ara Zohrabyan stated that law enforcement presented an arrest warrant for Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, Primate of the Shirak Diocese, with a motion to detain him, reports Panorama.am . He clarified that the criminal case is based on comments made by the Archbishop in an interview back in 2024.

“This is clearly part of anti-Church actions. In our assessment, this is an illegal persecution given the recent developments,” Zohrabyan noted, adding that a legal defense team has been formed to coordinate further steps.

Clergy reacted with firm unity: “Wherever Archbishop Mikael is, we are there too.”

Investigative actions at the Shirak Diocese headquarters have concluded, and law enforcement has left the premises.

According to Sputnik Armenia, a citizen present at the scene reported that law enforcement took certain documents with them.

A clergy conference is underway at the Mother See. During this time, law enforcement reportedly arrived in search of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, as Aysor.am notes.

Attorney Ara Zohrabyan read out the Investigative Committee’s decision to arrest Archbishop Mikael. The committee intends to request his pre-trial detention.

Clergy urged the Archbishop not to leave the Mother See: “Don’t go, Your Grace. Let them come and try to drag us out—let them take us all.”

Earlier in the day, about 30 masked individuals stormed the Shirak Diocese headquarters, lawyer Mihran Poghosyan reported. Archbishop Mikael, however, was at Holy Etchmiadzin. A clergy conference was scheduled at the Mother See on June 27. The National Security Service is reportedly on-site and may be planning a search of the Catholicosate.