Police officers leave Mother See premises to avoid escalation as crowds gather

“National Security Service agents and police officers who arrived at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Vagharshapat to arrest a senior clergyman have withdrawn from the area as a safety precaution after crowds began to gather. According to the NSS, the withdrawal was intended to prevent a potential premeditated escalation of the situation. The NSS reiterated its call for Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan to surrender to the authorities.

Ajapahyan is accused of publicly advocating an overthrow of the government—a charge he denies.

He previously stated that he does not intend to evade law enforcement. He was seen walking toward a police cruiser to submit to arrest, but he abruptly turned back and entered the Patriarchate headquarters, where a general assembly of clergymen was in progress. The Church later claimed that Ajapahyan’s supporters prevented him from entering the police vehicle. The NSS urged citizens not to escalate the situation or obstruct lawful law enforcement actions.