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Investigators have questioned Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church in relation to the criminal probe into a leaked audio recording.
The recording, which reportedly dates back to 2023, purportedly captures a conversation between Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan and Priest Aghan Yernjakyan.
The recording surfaced online last week.
In the recording, the priest, who was then Catholicos Karekin II’s mace-bearer, is heard complaining to the archbishop that Karekin II had ordered him and his family to attend anti-government rallies. When he refused, he was reportedly sent to continue his service in a chapel located about 200 kilometers from his hometown. The priest later left church service.
The Armenian Church responded to the recording, calling it part of a smear campaign.
"During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated following the report received about the audio recording circulating on the internet, the individual has been questioned,” the Investigative Committee told Armenpress on October 22.
Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan is the Director of the External Relations and Protocol Division, and the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Armenian Apostolic Church.