Clergymen detained after reports of alleged election meddling attempts in 2021

Several clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church were detained on Wednesday after a priest publicly accused the Church of attempting to meddle in the snap parliamentary elections in 2021.

Six clergymen, including the Head of the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church, were detained alongside several lay workers.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee did not explicitly confirm or deny the detentions but acknowledged that it had launched a criminal investigation into the alleged abuse of official power aimed at interfering with citizens’ participation in public assemblies.

“Within the framework of the preliminary investigation of a criminal case initiated on the grounds of using official or service-related authority, or the influence derived from it, to obstruct or compel the organization of or participation in an assembly, as well as materially incentivizing a person to either participate in or refrain from participating in an assembly, necessary procedural and evidentiary actions are being carried out. We will issue an additional statement,” the Investigative Committee said.

The detentions followed accusations by a clergyman serving in the Aragatsotn Diocese, who alleged in a televised interview that church leadership attempted to interfere in the 2021 elections by forcing clergymen to attend a pro-opposition rally.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin said that law enforcement agencies have conducted a search in the home of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, the Head of the Diocese of Aragatsotn.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, dispatched a rapid response team to the detention facility to review the grounds for the arrests, her office said.