by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have arrested the brother and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on suspicion of committing a crime amid mounting tensions between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Attorney Ara Zohrabyan
Attorney Ara Zohrabyan said that a decision had been made to detain Catholicos’ brother, Gevorg Nersisyan, and his son, Hambardzum over the weekend. The Investigative Committee’s spokesperson, Kima Avdalyan, confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on November 3 that a public criminal prosecution was launched against the two individuals under Article 211 of the Criminal Code, which deals with coercing someone to conduct or refrain from conducting campaign activities or otherwise obstructing such activities.
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Zohrabyan also said that in the enlarged community of Vagharshapat where a campaign ahead of a local election is underway, a candidate from a pro-government political party claimed on Facebook that on November 1, the Catholicos’s brother, Gevorg Nersisyan, together with his sons, allegedly obstructed his election campaign. Zohrabyan rejected the claim.
The arrests, which the country’s opposition and church advocates are certain to condemn as politically motivated, come as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan continues to publicly challenge the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On Sunday, Pashinyan attended a liturgy celebrated by defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan (formerly Father Aram) at the Hovhannavank Monastery in Ohanavan, 30 kilometers northwest of Yerevan, marking the second consecutive week that he has joined a service led by the banned priest.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, had previously defrocked Asatrian and prohibited him from performing any religious rites. Last week, the Church described Asatrian’s services as a “soul-destroying initiative,” accusing Pashinyan of attempting to “split the Church.”
Earlier on Sunday, Pashinyan released a video address on social media reiterating his call for the removal of Catholicos Karekin II, declaring that “the spiritual and moral renewal of the Armenian Apostolic Church begins, first of all, with the spiritual and moral renewal of each of us.” Again referring to Karekin II by his lay name, he said that before “freeing the Holy of Holies from Ktrich Nersisyan and his group,” Armenians must become “spiritually and morally worthy of the Holy of Holies.”
Pashinyan attended the service with members of his ruling Civil Contract party, including the parliament speaker, several ministers, regional governors, and lawmakers.
Vahe Ghalumyan, a ruling bloc lawmaker and former governor of Armenia’s Tavush province, told reporters that in their view, not only the Catholicos but also others in the Church had violated their vows of celibacy and “lost the right to be called ‘Reverend’.” When asked why these accusations were being raised years after the 2018 “velvet revolution,” Ghalumyan said that “today the truth is known to a wider segment of the public.”
“These people at the Mother See are the ones who are sacrilegious – not us,” he said.
The Armenian Apostolic Church stated that the Hovhannavank Monastery is its property and that Asatrian’s refusal to vacate the site constitutes an “illegal occupation.” Etchmiadzin said it has appealed to the police.
While Pashinyan attended the disputed service, the Mother See celebrated the 26th anniversary of Catholicos Karekin II’s enthronement at the Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The ceremony was attended by opposition lawmakers and representatives of various opposition political parties.
Artur Khachatryan, a lawmaker representing the opposition Hayastan alliance, reacted to Pashinyan’s earlier remarks that he might next attend a similar liturgy in Echmiadzin. “Anything can be expected from evil,” he said, calling for such actions to be prevented. Khachatryan claimed that a “planned assault” on the Catholicosate last summer had failed because “the public had rallied in defense of the Church.”
“But, of course, he [Pashinyan] will try again until he sees that a popular wall stands in defense of one of the key pillars of our identity,” Khachatryan said.
During Sunday’s liturgy, Asatryan said that “the state and statehood must come first, and the Church second.” Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, who was also present, said the process would continue. “Once again, with a benevolent heart, I urge him [the Catholicos] to realize that he should not bring this situation to a point where there is no alternative.”
At Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Haykazun Najarian, who conducted the liturgy, described the current disagreements between the Church and the State as “troubling.”
“The imprisonment of three bishops, the violent seizure of Hovhannavank, and the encouragement of a defrocked cleric’s illegal ceremonies — these steps only deepen the crisis,” Archbishop Najarian said, referring to earlier arrests and prosecutions of senior Church representatives.
“To weaken Holy Echmiadzin is to weaken the Homeland. The Church has always respected the laws of the land and is ready to accept fair and lawful decisions,” he added.
He said that while the Church has internal issues, “they cannot be solved in this way.”
“Our wish is that state leaders act with wisdom and prudence to resolve this situation,” the archbishop said, urging both sides to reach a constructive conclusion “beneficial for both Etchmiadzin and the State.”
Archbishop Najarian concluded by saying that it was time to put aside divisive issues. “The state should deal with its own matters, and the Church with its spiritual mission.”
