#DemocracyWatch – On October 15, the Investigative Committee of Armenia detained ten clergymen from the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and conducted a search at the diocesan headquarters. The following day, authorities revealed that three individuals had been formally arrested, including the head of the diocese, Bishop Mkrtych Proshyan.

The charges against the clergy involve multiple provisions of the Armenian Criminal Code, including obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights using official position, coercing or obstructing participation in public assemblies through influence or material incentives, and misappropriation of large amounts of entrusted property. These actions were prompted by an interview given in September by another clergyman of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Father Aram Asatryan, in which he stated that he had participated in opposition rallies in 2021 against his will.

A related high-profile arrest occurred on October 16 when lawyer Alexander Kochubaev publicly criticized the criminal proceedings against the clergymen. In a Facebook post, he described investigators, prosecutors, and judges in derogatory terms. Hours later, Kochubaev was forcibly detained and subsequently imprisoned for two months. Authorities charged him under the Criminal Code for publishing defamatory information about judges, prosecutors, and investigators in connection with their professional activities.