YEREVAN—Armenian authorities have escalated their campaign against leading clergy and members of the opposition-aligned “Tavush for the Homeland” movement.
Following the arrests of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, ARF Supreme Council member Igor Sargsyan, Artsakh Republic’s interim president Davit Galstyan and over a dozen other activists, government forces turned their focus to the very heart of Armenian spiritual life: the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
On June 27, heavily armed units from Armenia’s most elite security divisions—including the National Security Service’s (NSS) “Alpha” unit, the police’s “Black Panthers” and “Red and Black Berets”—descended on Holy Etchmiadzin in a highly militarized attempt to arrest Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, primate of the Shirak Diocese. The dramatic standoff unfolded during the annual clergy assembly, shocking both clergy and laypeople gathered at the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Though Ajapahyan voluntarily offered to appear before the Investigative Committee following the session, the scale and aggression of the operation alarmed observers. Clergy and civilians encircled the Archbishop in a human shield, urging him not to go. “If they take you, they must take all of us,” one priest reportedly declared. Amid mounting tension, security forces eventually withdrew from the compound.
Shortly afterward, Archbishop Ajapahyan voluntarily appeared and was later arrested and transferred to the high-security detention unit “Yerevan-Kentron,” commonly used for extreme isolation. His legal team condemned the arrest as politically motivated and unlawful.
“This is no longer about legality,” said his lawyer, Yerem Sargsyan. “This is a matter of life and death. They’ve placed him in solitary confinement as if he were a violent criminal, despite his voluntary cooperation with authorities.”
The arrest followed accusations under Article 422 of the Criminal Code, which alleges that the archbishop made public calls to violently overthrow the constitutional order—charges stemming from remarks he made assessing post-war Armenia’s political situation. His lawyers argue these were analytical reflections, not incitements.
From his own cell at Yerevan-Kentron, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan—leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement—released a letter, likening the events at Etchmiadzin to Stalinist-era persecutions. He recalled how, in 1937, Archbishop Bagrat Vardazaryan, after whom he was named, was arrested and executed in the same building.
“We have returned to 1937,” he wrote. “The regime now labels defenders of faith and identity as terrorists and traitors. The end of this regime will be just as inevitable as the fall of Soviet tyranny.”
Condemnation of these developments has poured in from many corners. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issued an unprecedented statement denouncing the government’s actions as “a day of national disgrace,” branding the arrest of Archbishop Ajapahyan and the attempted raid on the monastery grounds as a “blasphemous and unprecedented assault” on Armenia’s spiritual heritage.
The statement pointed to the prime minister and other top officials as the architects of an overt “anti-Church policy,” accusing them of inciting hatred against clergy. The Church called for the archbishop’s immediate release and warned of legal action to defend ecclesiastical rights.
The Diplomatic Council of the Armenian Diaspora echoed these sentiments, declaring the assault on Etchmiadzin “a direct attack on national identity and unity,” and warning that the government’s actions could ignite a broader civil crisis.
“What our enemies failed to achieve for centuries, our own government is now attempting,” the statement read.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry also weighed in, expressing concern over growing tensions in Armenia, particularly the situation surrounding the Church. In a rare and sharply worded statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed deep concern over what he called “unfounded attacks” on the Armenian Apostolic Church, warning that such actions threaten one of the most enduring pillars of Armenian society.
His comments came during a press briefing following a session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Council of Foreign Ministers.
Lavrov confirmed that the internal developments in Armenia, particularly those targeting the Armenian Church, were discussed at length during the meeting. “This is clearly an internal matter for our neighbors,” he said, “but the growing pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church—a canonical institution with a millennia-old presence—is deeply troubling.”
The Russian foreign minister emphasized the Church’s traditional role as a stabilizing force and a cornerstone of national identity. “For centuries, the Armenian Church has been a moral and spiritual foundation of Armenian society. To see it come under assault, especially without substantial justification, raises serious concerns,” Lavrov said.
He stressed that Russia has a vested interest in seeing the situation resolved quickly and peacefully, in full respect of Armenia’s constitution, the rights of believers and fundamental human rights more broadly. “We believe it is essential that any internal dialogue be conducted in a way that ensures religious freedom and preserves national cohesion,” Lavrov stated.
Notably, Lavrov acknowledged the growing resistance within Armenian society to government actions against the Church. “There is a significant and growing movement to defend the Church in Armenia,” he noted. “This is not a fringe concern—it is a serious national issue.”
This latest wave of arrests and military-style crackdowns represents a dramatic escalation in the Armenian government’s confrontation with a rising national-religious movement. What began in the northern region of Tavush as a protest against border concessions has evolved into a nationwide outcry against perceived authoritarianism and secular aggression toward the Church.
For now, the fate of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan remains uncertain. Yet among supporters, one sentiment dominates: that the soul of the nation is at stake. Archbishop Galstanyan’s final words from prison echo beyond the stone walls of his cell: “Victory has no alternative.”
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