The Church accused the Armenian authorities of violating human rights.

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Six clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church have been summoned to the investigative department as defendants in a criminal case and are prohibited from leaving the country. The Church has accused the Armenian authorities of interfering in its internal affairs and violating human rights.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," as of January 27, more than a thousand citizens have signed a statement in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church, initiated by a group of lawyers and public figures. They called the authorities' actions against the church unconstitutional.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has banned six high-ranking clergy from leaving the country, News.am reported on January 31.

According to the Investigative Committee's conclusion, during the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, a criminal case was opened against the aforementioned individuals under Part 2 of Article 507 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (failure to execute a judicial act or obstruction of its execution, committed through the use of official powers or influence provided by them).

Thus, the Primate of the Gugart Diocese, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, the Primate of the Syunik Diocese, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, the Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Bishop Haykazun Najarian, the Director of Church and Youth Education Programs, Archbishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, and the Director of the Administrative and Economic Department will not be able to attend the bishops' conference in Austria. Bishop Mushegh Babayan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Priest Movses Sahakyan is also named in the criminal case.

All seven were summoned for questioning by the investigative department as defendants. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin condemned the authorities' interference in the church's internal affairs. The church's statement stated that summoning the clergy to the investigative department and prohibiting them from leaving Armenia constitutes an obstruction of the bishops' meeting. "This reprehensible process is a gross violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the laws of our state and international treaties," Novosti-Armenia quotes the statement.

The Spiritual Center of the Armenian Apostolic Church called on the authorities and law enforcement to act within the framework of the constitution and the law of the country and to respect the church's right to autonomy.