Church: targeted attacks seek to foster hostility against clergy

PanARMENIAN.Net - Responding to media inquiries, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued a statement regarding the recently circulated audio recording on social media.

“Audio recordings allegedly containing telephone conversations attributed to His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian have been circulated by media outlets aligned with the authorities.

Amid the ongoing campaign waged by the authorities against the Church, including, in recent days, the detention of dozens of clergymen and the arrest of two members of the clergy, it has already become evident who stands behind this latest act.

At present, the entire law enforcement and judicial system has been mobilized to carry out unlawful, anti-Church directives. The dissemination of statements purportedly made by His Holiness the Catholicos of All Armenians seeks to discredit the Church and to incite hostility toward it and its clergy.

The violation of the telephone conversation confidentiality is, in itself, a criminal act and a separate matter, to which we hope the law enforcement bodies will provide an appropriate response,” the statement says.