Head of Aragatsotn Diocese of AAC transferred under house arrest

A court in Armenia has decided to place the head of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Mkrtich (born Hayk Proshyan), under house arrest. Earlier, the cleric, who is the nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, was detained in the case of coercion to participate in rallies. This was reported by the bishop’s lawyer, Ara Zohrabyan, on February 12.

According to TASS, citing Zohrabyan’s statement on social media, the court of first instance of Aragatsotn province presided over by David Dabaghyan decided to lift Proshyan’s arrest and apply an alternative measure of restraint.

The investigation against the clergymen of the Aragatsotn Diocese began after one of the clergymen, Father Aram Asatryan, who was at that time the clergyman of Hovanavank (a monastery in Hovanavan village), stated on the air of the Public Television of Armenia in September that he participated in opposition rallies in 2021 against his will and on behalf of his superior, Bishop Mkrtich. Information about the case was transferred to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia and then to the Yerevan Department of the Main Criminal Police Department.

Within the framework of this case, 13 clergymen, including Bishops Mkrtich and Arsenyan, were detained. A measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen for them. It should be noted that on November 7 the court also transferred Bishop Arsenyan under house arrest.

To remind, earlier we reported that the Armenian Court of Appeals ruled to place Archbishop Mikayel Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), under house arrest. Earlier, the cleric was sentenced to two years in prison for publicly calling for the seizure of power in the country.