Woman taken into police custody for protesting against Ateshyan at Sunday Mass in Istanbul Armenian Church

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. During a Sunday mass at the Armenian Church of Ferikoy, Istanbul, one of the attendees expresses protest against Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, who is recognized by Turkish authorities as the patriarchal vicar, Agos reports.

Ateshyan was at the church to deliver the mass, and after it began an Armenian scholar, Besse Kabak, stood up and began reciting Lord Have Mercy with a bible in her hands.

Kabak was escorted out of the church and taken into police custody.

After being detained for nearly an hour, she was released after signing a police record.

Amid the ongoing tensions regarding the patriarchal election, the Istanbul Governor’s Office had responded with delay to the Armenian Patriarchate, saying it doesn’t recognize the elected Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan as patriarchal locum tenens.