Armenia Detains Six Clergy Members in Expanding Church Probe

On Wednesday, six clergymen from the Armenian Apostolic Church were detained as part of a growing investigation, their lawyer confirmed.

Among those held are five priests from the Aragatsotn diocese in western Armenia and the diocese’s head, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, The Caspian Post reports, citing Reuters.

Religious leaders have condemned the detentions, calling the move a politically motivated crackdown.

Armenian authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the detentions, and the Investigative Committee - the country’s main judicial investigative body - did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A senior council of the Armenian Apostolic Church condemned the arrests, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of mounting “systemic pressure on the Armenian Church,” according to statements cited by Armenian media.

The latest detentions follow an interview last month in which a local pastor, Father Ter Aram, claimed on public television that church authorities forced members to join anti-government protests in 2021.

Following that broadcast, the NGO Union of Informed Citizens submitted a formal request urging prosecutors to investigate the allegations.

The confrontation between the church and the government comes ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026.