Overview
- Speaking at the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said some Armenian Apostolic Church clergy publicly urged a violent seizure of power and called for killings, including threats against him.
- Judicial proceedings are underway, with four senior Armenian Apostolic hierarchs in custody on various charges that the Church characterizes as unlawful.
- Following a meeting with Archbishop Ezras, Metropolitan Anthony of the Russian Orthodox Church voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church and warned against state interference and attempts to provoke a split among believers.
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is advancing a ‘renewal’ plan that envisions removing Catholicos Garegin II, installing a temporary locum, and adopting a new charter before electing a new catholicos.
- The arrest of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, a defender of the Church, prompted vocal objections from diaspora representatives who described the actions as political persecution.