Archbishop Arshak will not be detained again. Judge Artur Adamyan of the Armavir Region Court of First Instance has left unchanged the preventive measure of administrative supervision imposed on Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, chancellor of the Mother See.

During the first court hearing, prosecutor Alisa Boyajyan had requested that the cleric be placed in detention again, Sputnik Armenia reports.

“The proceedings are still at the stage of preliminary hearings, and not all individuals essential to the case have been questioned. Moreover, there is information that the alleged crime was committed with the involvement of several persons, which significantly increases the risk of coordination of testimonies and interference in the evidentiary process,” the prosecutor said.

According to her, Archbishop Arshak’s freedom could pose risks related to possible influence on witnesses, alteration of testimonies, as well as concealment or destruction of evidence. She also stressed that the Archbishop holds an influential position that could enable him to affect others.

By the judge’s decision, the preventive measure against Arshak remained unchanged.

The next court hearing is scheduled for July 3 at 16:00.

In court, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan stated: “The entire accusation is based on the hallucinations of certain individuals,” Panorama.am reports.

He joined his defense team’s motion demanding the immediate termination of the criminal prosecution.

“It turns out there is a situation where there is no physical evidence of a crime, no victim, but there is a client behind it. Last time we learned that the drugs have also disappeared, there is no person who received them, no person who planted them, yet somehow I have appeared in the spotlight. I have not engaged in political activity, but the case is constructed with clear elements of political persecution, and I expect nothing other than the immediate termination of the criminal case. It is obvious that everything here is false and fabricated.

If the courts had acted at the proper level until now, and the prosecution had been sufficiently impartial and not delegated, we would not be in this situation. Therefore, I have no other demand,” he said.

During the hearing, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, addressing Judge Artur Adamyan, noted that his passport name is Samvel Khachatryan, but he is publicly known by his clerical name.

“According to my passport, I am Samvel Khachatryan, but in public, I am known as Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. I ask that this be taken into account when addressing me,” he said.

The judge asked: “So should we not address you by your official name?”

Defense lawyer Arsen Babayan clarified that, by established practice, clergy are addressed by their religious names.

“There is an accepted practice of addressing clergy by their religious names,” he said.

Archbishop Arshak was detained on December 4, 2025, upon leaving the Investigative Committee building. It later became known that he was charged with illegal drug trafficking by a group of persons by prior agreement. On December 5, he was arrested, and on February 3, 2026, his detention was extended by two months. On March 5, he was released, and administrative supervision was imposed.