Armenia’s Clergy Under Arrest as Government Pushes Church Reform
Since June 2025, Armenian authorities have arrested senior clerics and other clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church on charges ranging from coup plotting to drug‑related offences, actions that human rights advocates call unlawful detentions. Amid this escalation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has unveiled a new Code of Regulations for the Armenian Apostolic Church, despite having no formal authority within its structure.
Since June 2025, Armenian authorities have arrested senior clerics and other clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church on charges ranging from coup plotting to drug‑related offences. “Armenia’s Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others … [who] had acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power.” In mid‑October, authorities raided Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan’s diocesan headquarters and detained him with about 12 priests, actions the Church said aimed “to disrupt the Church’s normal functioning and to spread fear among clergy and believers.” In December, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was placed in pre‑trial detention on drug‑related charges. Advocates warn that repression may intensify ahead of parliamentary elections in June 2026, describing clergy and churches as intimidated and “under siege.”
Amid this crackdown, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan unveiled on his social media a “roadmap for the renewal of the Armenian Apostolic Church” following the removal of Catholicos Karekin II. The plan calls for electing a locum tenens under existing church mechanisms, adopting a new Code of Regulations covering “standards of conduct for clergy and guarantees for ensuring ethical behavior,” financial transparency, guarantees of a non‑political character, tax compliance with refunds to the Church, and social protections for clergy, before electing a new Catholicos.
Human rights advocates and religious freedom groups have denounced the crackdown as politically motivated, urging the release of detained clergy. The World Council of Churches warned that detentions and state interference threaten the Church’s spiritual integrity and the religious freedom of believers.
On 27 December 2025, clashes occurred at Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church, when law‑enforcement officers forcibly pushed journalists outside the cathedral. Church leadership condemned the intervention as government interference in religious life, emphasising its independence and criticising actions that obstruct the Church’s operations. Dozens of men believed to be law‑enforcement personnel struck journalists near the site, highlighting concerns about restrictions on free expression in sacred spaces. Church authorities framed these confrontations as part of a broader pattern of state pressure on Etchmiadzin, escalating tensions between religious leadership and the Armenian government.
Sources: catholicnewsagency.com, oragark.com, armenpress.am, azatutyun.am, massispost.com, spzh.eu, caucasuswatch.de
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