Another archbishop arrested in Armenia over drug-related charges
Arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan
A court in Armenia has ordered a two-month detention for the head of the Etchmiadzin chancery, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. The controversial incident involving this senior cleric had already been discussed publicly for a month before this decision. An intimate video allegedly showing him circulated online. The archbishop denied any involvement. The Investigative Committee, however, presented the results of an examination, which confirmed that the footage indeed featured Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan.
The arrest decision does not relate to the scandalous video.
Authorities have opened a criminal case against him under the charge of “illegal sale of narcotic substances by a group of people acting in prior conspiracy in a public place.”
Details of the incident have already emerged. Media reports state that the head of the Etchmiadzin chancery allegedly ordered one of the church staff members to plant drugs in the backpack of a participant in a protest against the Catholicos.
Investigators believe the motive behind these actions was to discredit both the protest participant and the demonstration itself, which took place in 2018.
“Considering the public statements and position of the archbishop [he expressed support for the Catholicos of All Armenians], it is clear that this article attempts to discredit him for political purposes. The aim is to create the impression in society of his alleged involvement in drug trafficking,” emphasized the archbishop’s lawyer, Arsen Babayan.
He described the seven-year-old charges as “ridiculous” and “absurd.” Babayan also noted that there are no direct testimonies against the archbishop.
On the eve of the incident, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan appeared at the Investigative Committee for questioning over the alleged intimate video. After the questioning ended, as he and his lawyer were leaving the building, officers from the National Security Service stopped them and detained the cleric.
All details known at the time of publication.
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The same judge approved the arrest of all three archbishops
Judge Masis Melkonyan approved the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan.
A few months earlier, in June, he had also approved the arrest of two other clergymen.
In June, with only a few days between them, Armenia arrested the heads of the Tavush and Shirak dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, head of the Tavush diocese, faces charges of planning “terrorist acts and the seizure of power.” Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, head of the Shirak diocese, is accused of “publicly calling for the seizure of power and the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.”
‘This case has no jurisprudence‘
Khachatryan’s lawyers said before the court session began that they did not expect his release. They added that their client “is ready to join the other arrested high-ranking clergymen.”
According to lawyer Arsen Babayan, the article in the indictment has no connection to the actual facts of the case.
He explained: “The investigation itself contradicts this article. The alleged goal [according to the charges] was not the sale of drugs, but the discrediting of a person by planting them.”
‘Seven years later, the truth has prevailed’
Karen Petrosyan, one of the initiators of the “New Armenia – New Patriarch” movement, which in 2018 demanded the removal of the catholicos from the throne, spoke to Azatutyun (Radio Liberty) about the incident that took place seven years ago.
He said the police received a call asking them to check the bag of an 18-year-old activist from the movement. At first, officers found “nothing unusual” and returned the bag. However, half an hour later, law enforcement asked him to bring the same bag again for inspection. This time, they found “a substance wrapped in white paper.”
“It became clear that someone had planted this envelope in the bag. The police were also surprised. They [the clergymen] wanted to discredit the movement by planting drugs. They wanted to create the impression that the movement’s members were drug users. But seven years later, the truth has prevailed.
We now understand how this process was organized and how the drug ended up in the bag. At the time, deacons also said that the police were called on the orders of the head of the chancery,” Petrosyan explained.
Catholicosate: ‘Stop the unlawful persecution of clergymen‘
The catholicosate condemned the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. Officials described the charges as “fabricated and baseless.”
A statement from Echmiadzin said the arrest represents a continuation of the “political persecution” of the clergy:
“The arrest of high-ranking clergymen on fabricated charges is another example of the government’s anti-church policies and its attempts to incite hatred against the clergy.”
The catholicosate demanded the immediate end to the “unlawful persecution” of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan and other detained clergymen.
