Allegations surface of long‑running visa fraud linked to Armenian church figures

Senior figures within the Armenian Apostolic Church were reportedly involved for years in the sale of Schengen visas under the guise of organising religious pilgrimages.

According to an article by Armenia's MediaNews, between 2005 and 2015, the Department of Interchurch Relations of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin was led by Vargdes (Bishop Ovakim) Manukyan, a close associate of Ktrich Nersisyan — also known as Garegin II, Caliber.Az reports. 

The publication claims that, with Manukyan’s assistance, Nersisyan received and misappropriated millions of dollars in funding from international charitable organisations, including Bread for the World, Round Table, and Renovabis.

The article further alleges that seminary students were exploited in the scheme. It states that photographs and fabricated biographies of top students at the Gevorgyan Seminary were sent to foreign aid foundations, misrepresenting them as orphans or individuals in dire need of financial support.

Of particular concern, the editorial claims that in 2014–2015, with the knowledge of Nersisyan, Bishop Hovhannes Manukyan submitted visa applications to a foreign embassy on behalf of approximately 40 Armenian citizens, presenting them as pilgrims travelling to the Vatican. The report asserts that these individuals paid substantial fees to Manukyan for visa facilitation, but instead of returning to Armenia, they remained in Europe after receiving Schengen visas.

The scandal reportedly drew the attention of then‑Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who instructed Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan to investigate the matter. Following several high‑level meetings, it is claimed that Catholicos of All Armenians appointed Ovakim Manukyan as head of the Armenian diocese in the United Kingdom.

The editorial also accuses Nersisyan of activities that, it says, have harmed the international standing of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Additionally, it highlights that Hovhannes Manukyan, described as an active supporter of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) party, continues to engage in what the publication terms “anti‑state activities” in collaboration with Vardan Oskanyan and Sarkis Shaginyan, the latter residing in Switzerland.

By Sabina Mammadli