Armenian Church gives demonstrators 1 week to halt actions otherwise protester-priest will be defrocked

YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. Amid ongoing protests against Catholicos Garegin II’s rule, the Armenian Church today held a Supreme Spiritual Council Assembly sitting, chaired by the Catholicos himself.

The Assembly decided to defrock Koryun Arakelyan, the priest who is leading the protests. But the Catholicos himself halted the decision, calling for love and understanding. The Assembly subsequently issued a one-week deadline for the protesters to cease their actions.

Earlier the protesters had even breached into the Armenian Church HQ and began a sit-in. Only after few days police intervened.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan