The Mother See condemns criminal prosecution against members of the Supreme Spiritual Council
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has issued a statement addressing the criminal proceedings and prosecution initiated against the clerical members of the Supreme Spiritual Council.
The statement notes that, according to the Mother See, the authorities are carrying out another intervention into the internal affairs of the Church, with blatant violations of the RA Constitution and laws. As a result, criminal proceedings have been initiated and prosecution launched against the clerical members of the Supreme Spiritual Council on charges of obstructing the execution of a judicial act.
According to the Mother See, on January 31, summonses were sent to the clerical members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, requiring them to appear before the RA Investigative Committee as defendants. The statement claims that within the framework of the criminal prosecution, the exit of the council’s bishop members from the Republic of Armenia has been restricted. According to the Mother See, this constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights and could disrupt the normal activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church, specifically the upcoming Assembly of Bishops to be convened in Austria.
The Mother See calls upon the authorities and the law enforcement system of the Republic of Armenia to act exclusively within the framework of the RA Constitution and laws and to respect the Church’s right to autonomy.
Simultaneously, the RA Investigative Committee reported that during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated regarding the non-compliance with a judicial act, public criminal prosecution was launched against 7 individuals under Article 507, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. According to the IC, a ban on leaving the country has been selected as a preventive measure against them.