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A Yerevan court has jailed Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, the head of the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church, placing him in pre-trial detention on charges related to election meddling.
Judge Karen Farkhoyan approved the prosecution’s motion and ordered a two-month jail term without bail.
Priest Garegin Arsenyan, the diocese chancellor, was jailed for a one-month term.
The clergymen have denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier, on October 15, law enforcement agencies detained the bishop along with 12 priests and several lay workers from Aragatsotn Province.
The Investigative Committee said in a statement that it had launched a criminal investigation into the alleged abuse of official power aimed at interfering with citizens’ participation in public assemblies.
The detentions followed accusations by a clergyman serving in the Aragatsotn Diocese, who claimed in a televised interview that Church leadership had attempted to interfere in the 2021 elections by forcing clergymen to attend a pro-opposition rally.
The Armenian Church has denounced the law enforcement actions as unlawful, alleging that authorities are seeking to disrupt the Church’s normal activities and spread fear among the clergy.
The Human Rights Defender’s Office, responding to reports that lawyers were barred from seeing their clients in detention, stated that such cases are inadmissible. It added that it remains in contact with the lawyers.