Court decision regarding the publication of Archbishop Nathan’s telephone conversation to be appealed
The Prosecutor General’s Office intends to appeal the court decision that required the RA Investigative Committee to examine the circumstances related to the publication of a telephone conversation between Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See, and a former cleric.
According to the RA Investigative Committee, no criminal proceedings will be initiated until a final judicial act is issued regarding the appeal.
On January 20, lawyer Ara Zohrabyan stated that it is necessary to initiate criminal proceedings regarding the violation of the privacy of Archbishop Nathan’s telephone conversation.
It should be recalled that as early as October 17, it became known that criminal proceedings had been initiated regarding a recording circulated on the Internet involving Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan and the former staff bearer of the Catholicos, Father Aghan Yernjakyan. In the recording, the former cleric expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, was forcing him to participate in anti-government protests.
On October 22, Ara Zohrabyan submitted a report on a crime, requesting the initiation of proceedings on the grounds of illegal violation of the privacy of telephone conversations. He also noted that the recordings might have been edited or modified.
On October 29, the Investigative Committee refused to initiate criminal proceedings, and the appeal filed against that decision was also rejected by the RA Prosecutor General’s Office on November 18.