Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn Diocese and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, is facing criminal prosecution and will soon be taken into custody, according to his lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. Speaking outside the Investigative Committee’s Yerevan office, Zohrabyan stated that after hours of restricted contact, he and attorney Yerem Sargsyan were finally allowed to meet with the bishop, Sputnik Armenia reports.
Zohrabyan confirmed that bishop Proshyan was initially brought to this location, but was denied access to legal counsel until now. He is currently under arrest and is accused of “obstructing participation in assemblies” and “influencing the outcome of the 2021 elections.”
According to the lawyer, the charges are fabricated and should be viewed within the broader context of actions targeting the Armenian Apostolic Church. He declined to reveal further details, citing the need to preserve their legal defense strategy.
“They plan to place the bishop in custody just like they did with other clergymen. He is prepared for persecution and knew this was coming. He rejects the accusations. This is unprecedented. You’ve never heard of so many clergymen being held for hours, with their whereabouts concealed,” said Zohrabyan.
He added that Bishop Proshyan was detained on the morning of October 15 at 9:30 a.m., meaning authorities have limited time to keep him in custody without formal charges. The request for his pre-trial detention is expected to be filed today.
Earlier, in a televised interview, Father Aram stated that he had participated in opposition protests in 2021 on the direct instruction of Bishop Proshyan. This prompted the Investigative Committee to initiate a criminal case on charges of coercing or preventing participation in assemblies.
On the same morning, law enforcement also searched the bishop’s home before detaining him. Five additional clergy from the Aragatsotn Diocese and several lay staff members were also arrested. Authorities say they are suspected of “financially incentivizing or discouraging participation in gatherings.” The total number of detained clergy has since risen to eleven.
