Early in the morning of 27 June, National Security Service of Armenia’s special services and police entered the compound of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). Law enforcement officers meanwhile stormed the residence of the head of the Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, in Gyumri.
According to News.am, a clergy assembly was taking place in Echmiadzin then. One of the participants of the assembly was Archbishop Ajapakhyan himself. A day after the prosecutor general’s office opened a criminal case against him under the article on ‘calls for seizure of power in public,’ police arrived to take him into custody. Nevertheless, the Archbishop told them he had no intention to hide.
Subsequently, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II also spoke with reporters, noting the Archbishop will go to see the investigators accompanied by an attorney. Meanwhile, clergy and the faithful who happened to be in Echmiadzin shut down the temple gates, trying to prevent the detention of the archbishop. Sputnik Armenia cites a confrontation between law enforcers and church members.
The Echmiadzin episode is not an isolated event, but an expression of the deepening confrontation between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the current authorities led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Since Pashinyan came to power in 2018, the relations between the state and the Church have been worsening at a rapid rate. The reasons are numerous.
First, the Church openly criticises the political course of the current leadership of the country, especially after Armenia’s defeat in the Second Karabakh War. Archbishop Ajapakhyan, as well as many other representatives of the clergy, have publicly accused Pashinyan of losing national interests, spiritual degradation and failure to ensure the security of the country. Such statements, given the authority of the Church among a significant part of the population, are perceived by the authorities as a political challenge.
Secondly, the Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the few remaining institutional structures in Armenia capable of consolidating protest sentiments. In conditions where opposition parties are fragmented and often discredited, it is the Church that becomes a symbol of disagreement with the government’s course. The authorities seem to regard this as a threat and try to neutralise any form of alternative influence.
Thirdly, in recent years, there has been a tendency to tighten control over society in Armenia. Repressions against political opponents, criminal cases against activists, pressure on the media and now direct interference in the affairs of the church. All this points to the increasingly intolerant stance of the authorities towards any opposition.
The detention of Archbishop Ajapakhyan can be regarded not only as a legal measure, but also as an act of intimidation, a signal to other clergymen that criticism of the authorities can have serious consequences. Escalation of the conflict threatens not only destabilisation, but also further polarisation of society.
