Court extends detention of Armenian top cleric Catholicos Garegin II’s nephew

The Yerevan court of first instance has extended the detention of Archbishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Church and nephew of Catholicos Garegin II, for a further two months.

Proshyan was initially taken into custody on October 16 for a two-month period over allegations that he coerced priests into participating in opposition rallies, Caliber.Az reports.

Speaking to Armenian media, his lawyer, Roman Agaryan, said, “Today, Judge Karen Farhoyan made this decision. The defence has not yet received the court ruling, but will appeal as soon as it is issued.”

On December 9, Archbishop Vasken Mirzakhanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of the Baltic States, said ten archbishops and bishops have urged Catholicos Garegin II to resign, arguing that the Armenian Apostolic Church must remain free from political and external influence.

Mirzakhanian cited increasing politicisation within the Church since Armenia’s 2020 wartime defeat and criticised actions by clergy, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, for issuing political statements despite claims of frozen ecclesiastical roles. He also condemned the emptying of a church in Gyumri as “a step against our statehood.”

The archbishop emphasised that the Church should focus on spiritual duties, serve the faithful, and support Armenia’s statehood, warning that political involvement has caused significant damage. He added that certain figures had turned the Church into part of a “deep-state structure” influenced from outside.

By Aghakazim Guliyev