Media: Armenian PM orders arrest of Catholicos’s brother

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has instructed security forces to detain Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, head of the Russian and Novo Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Church and brother of Catholicos Garegin II, upon his arrival in Armenia.

According to the newspaper Zhoghovurd, no official comment has been issued by government authorities.

Zhoghovurd notes that Archbishop Nersisyan has not visited Armenia for an extended period, which may partly explain the lack of public statements on the matter.

Armenia has been experiencing escalating tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church leadership since mid-2025, centred on Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II (secular name: Ktrich Nersisyan). 

Pashinyan has repeatedly accused Garegin II of illegitimately holding office, breaching his vow of celibacy, and fathering a child, urging him to step down. In response, Garegin II and other church officials have accused the Prime Minister of leading an anti-church campaign.

By Aghakazim Guliyev