STATEMENT:
25.10.2025
We, the clergy of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, inform you that yesterday, 24.10.2025, through the police officers. at different times (including late evening, night) we were given copies of the notices issued on behalf of Nazeli Sargsyan, the senior investigator of the Yerevan investigative department of the Investigative Committee, according to which all of us should be sent to the city in 2025. On Sunday, October 26, at 09:00, we will appear at the investigative body in Yerevan with the same criminal proceedings.
In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the Law "On Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church" and the Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations", the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has the right to perform services and rituals, and the state has no right to interfere in the internal life of the church.
It is a well-known fact that the Holy and Immortal Liturgy is celebrated every Sunday in all existing churches.
Each of us, in 2025 On the morning of October 26, we will celebrate Holy Liturgy in the churches of Aragatsotn region and we will not be able to appear before the investigative body on that day, because otherwise we will violate our spiritual duties and leave our believers without Holy Communion.
In addition, all of us as witnesses want to appear at the interrogation only with lawyers, while on a non-working Sunday we will not be able to ensure the presence of lawyers (some of our priests are represented by the same lawyer, which is also an obstacle to participate in the interrogation at the same time).
We are not going to testify without the presence of a lawyer.
These are respectable reasons, taking into account that we call on the investigative body to invite us for the interrogation on another day, at least two days in advance, notifying us about the interrogation (the notices were also delivered in violation of this requirement). It is also noteworthy that on these non-working days we do not have the opportunity to deliver any documents to the office of the investigative body.
At the same time, we express our concern about the above-mentioned behavior of the Investigative Committee, by which an attempt is made to leave an entire region without the Holy and Immortal Liturgy.
Father Manuk priest Zeinalyan
Priest Sargis Sargsyan
Priest Hayk Kocharyan
Priest Narek Sargsyan
Reverend Paren Arakelyan
Reverend Moushe Vahanyan
Rev. Hovel Ohanyan
Priest Sevak Saribekyan
Ter Hambardzum priest Danielyan
Priest Yeghishe Barseghyan
Priest Zorayr Karapetyan
Reverend Ghevond Gapoyan
Priest Hayk Sahakyan
Priest Vazgen Hovhannisyan
Father Baptist priest Yeranyan
Priest Vrtanes Baghalyan
Reverend Malachia Gevorgyan
Priest Oshin Hayrapetyan
Priest Mkhitar Aharonyan
Artak Deacon Safaryan
Vahagn deacon Stepanyan
