Special equipment deployed to Armenian church diocese amid searches

Armenian law enforcement officers have brought special equipment to the Aragatsotn Diocese headquarters as part of ongoing searches. According to reports, rescue service personnel from the Interior Ministry are using the equipment to open storage areas within the diocese compound.

Earlier on Wednesday, several priests and lay employees of the Aragatsotn Diocese were detained. The whereabouts of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, the head of the diocese, remain unknown.

The Investigative Committee told Panorama.am that the raids are part of a criminal investigation into alleged interference with or coercion related to participation in rallies, as well as potential material inducements connected to such events.