Galyan: if Archbishop Arshak video not fake, legal action needed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan, responding to reporters in the National Assembly, addressed the video circulating online that is allegedly linked to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, calling the situation “completely unacceptable.”

“Any interference in private life, especially if it involves the dissemination of specific information, is unacceptable and criminally punishable. If the video isn’t fake, I believe individuals must file a report, and a criminal case must be initiated,” she said, Panorama.am reports.

Galyan said she was unaware whether a case had been launched but assumed that, if personal or family secrets were disclosed, a criminal investigation would inevitably follow.

Regarding surveillance in general, she stated: “Wiretapping is conducted by specific bodies for specific purposes, strictly tied to crime prevention and detection.”

The internet has seen the circulation of a video allegedly involving Archbishop Arshak that relates to his private life. In a public statement, the archbishop said he would not “engage in refuting fabrications and slander” and deemed it wiser to ignore them.

Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan condemned the repeated and widespread violations of the right to privacy and protection of personal data in Armenia, stating that the state is not doing enough to prevent them.