A fourth senior dignitary of the Armenian Church has been arrested since the start of the conflict between state authorities represented by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Patriarch Catholicos Karekin II. The reason officially given is a suspicion of drug trafficking. He was detained yesterday, December 4, at the Commission of Inquiry for two months. The archbishop was summoned there for questioning in connection with a video clip posted online, but after the questioning ended he was arrested. The video clip was made public not long ago, but the cleric denies its presence. However, an ecclesiastical investigation was opened against him for violating the vow of celibacy.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan occupies a high position in the Armenian Church: he is a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council, chairman of the Legal Advisory Committee and a member of the Committee for Awarding and Disciplinary Issues.
Patriarch Catholicos Karekin II made a statement in which he said: “In the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the anti-church policy adopted by the authorities, who have taken illegal measures and repressions against senior clerics, is also extremely alarming. You know that three hierarchs, a great national benefactor and other sons of Armenia are in prison. Today we learned that another cleric, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, was arrested and taken to prison. However, we hope that this ordeal will be overcome and these malicious encroachments will be neutralized.
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