Armenian security forces earlier conducted a search at the Catholicos’ residence, trying to arrest Archbishop Ajapahian.
As in Ukraine, the ongoing pressure on the church in Armenia is an attempt to subordinate it to the political situation, ex-Armenian lawmaker Arman Abovyan tells Sputnik.
What’s the Goal of the Clampdown?
The reason behind that is to break the Armenian people’s will to resist by spreading church-related disinformation, Abovyan said.
The other goal is to tarnish the church’s image ahead of the 2026 elections in Armenia.
The authorities certainly benefits from the current situation as it gives them a chance to get re-elected by discrediting the Church amid the government’s plummeting approval ratings. But this crackdown will only accelerate the decline of the government’s popularity.
Philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan is one of the most well-known Armenians in the world, a person with significant resources. Most likely, the authorities see a threat in the presence of such people when trying to implement their plans. The key point is the possession of resources, which the authorities probably see as a threat.