Armenian Court of Appeal releases Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan amid continued pressure on the AAC

The Armenian Court of Appeals has decided to release Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) Chancellery, from arrest. The move comes amid the ongoing conflict between the state authorities and the AAC, as well as accusations against the cleric, which his defense and clergy representatives call politically motivated.

As TASS reports citing Archbishop’s lawyer Arsen Babayan, the decision to release him was made by Judge A. Nikoghosyan. Archbishop Khachatryan, who was charged by the investigation with «sale of narcotic substances,» was arrested on December 5, 2025 for two months, and then his arrest was extended until February 3, 2026. The defense argues that this is a seven-year-old event and the charges are absurd. The clergy and opposition forces regard what is happening as a purposeful struggle unleashed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against the Armenian Apostolic Church in order to achieve the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

The situation surrounding Archbishop Khachatryan is part of a broader confrontation. Recently, on March 4, 2026, Armenia passed a law depriving the Church of the right to dispose of religious sites. Earlier, on December 25, 2025, a bill was passed that deprives the AAC of the right to obtain land ownership. Also, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the so-called «roadmap for the renewal of the Armenian Church» on January 13, 2026, which was perceived as an attempt to interfere in the Church’s affairs.

The conflict has already led to a number of other high-profile events. Thus, on February 6, 2026, the court placed convicted Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan under house arrest, and on January 27, 2026, the arrest of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan was extended.

On January 29, 2026, the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern about the interference of the Armenian authorities in the affairs of the AAC. In response to the authorities’ actions, a rally in support of the Armenian Church and Catholicos Karekin II was held in Moscow on February 5, 2026. Meanwhile, controversy surrounded the holding of the AAC Council of Bishops: after its postponement on December 9, 2025, it was announced that it would be held in Austria, but some bishops supporting Pashinian called for its cancellation.