The Mother See Responds to the Arrest of Archbishop Arshak
The Mother See has issued a statement condemning the arrest and detention of His Grace Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan on December 4 on “baseless and fabricated” charges.
The Mother See qualifies this action as political persecution, which is a “continuation of the repressions unleashed” against the Church. The statement notes that the detention of high-ranking clergymen on trumped-up charges is a manifestation of hate speech against the Church.
The Mother See demands the cessation of the persecutions carried out against Archbishop Arshak and the other imprisoned clergymen.
We remind you that in the morning the Archbishop was detained for two months. His Holiness Arshak was arrested by the NSS (National Security Service) on December 4 in the building of the Investigative Committee. A public criminal prosecution has been initiated against him on charges of illegal drug trafficking in a public place by a group of persons with prior agreement.