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The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has responded to the actions of law enforcement agencies carried out in the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church on October 15.
According to the Mother See, law enforcement officers conducted searches at dawn in the prelacy of the Diocese of Aragatsotn, as well as in the residences of the Primate of the Diocese, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, the priests, and staff members of the Diocese.
The report noted that the Primate of the Diocese, twelve priests, and several lay employees were detained.
The Mother See described these actions as illegal, stating: “Such condemnable actions are clearly intended to disrupt the normal activities of the Church, to damage its reputation, and to spread an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among the clergy, believers and the wider community.”
According to the statement, the whereabouts of some of the detained clergymen were unknown for several hours, and they were deprived of the opportunity to receive legal assistance.
The detentions came after a priest publicly accused the Church of attempting to interfere in the snap parliamentary elections held in 2021.