Armenian lawyers condemn police raid on Mother See as political intimidation

Armenian lawyers have strongly criticized authorities for forcibly entering the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, describing the action as a show of force rather than a legitimate law enforcement operation.

During a briefing on the 2025 activities of the Armenian Center for Political Rights (ACPR) on Wednesday, lawyer Tatev Soghoyan emphasized that Armenia’s constitution does not restrict clergy from participating in politics. “Churches and clerics not only have the right but also the full legal ability to engage in political activity,” she said, adding that authorities often manipulate public perception, assuming citizens are unaware of international precedents, such as clergy serving in the UK Parliament.

Lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan addressed the case of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, noting that standard investigative procedure would involve summoning him respectfully for questioning. Instead, he stressed that law enforcement chose to raid the Mother See while the cleric was present. “This was not merely persecution of Archbishop Mikayel, but an intrusion into the Mother See as a show of force,” Khudoyan said.

The briefing also summarized ACPR’s 2025 research on mass political persecutions, the non-compliance of Armenian laws with international human rights standards and concerning patterns in law enforcement practices.