On October 15 of last year, more than 10 priests of Aragatsot Diocese were invited to the investigative bodies of Yerevan for questioning. On the same day, a search was made in the presbytery of the diocese and the presbyter of the diocese was detained for 2 months.

Even at that time, the lawyers representing the interests of the priests stated that the case has nothing to do with the crime.

The law enforcement officers searched the apartments of many of the priests invited to the investigative bodies, phones were confiscated, including the phones of their family members.

The law enforcement officers had also entered early in the morning at that time Priest Vrtanes Baghalyan, spiritual pastor of St. Hovhannes Church in Byurakan to search the apartment, but they did not find anything, instead, they took the phones of the clergyman and his family members.

168.am–Fr. Vrtanes inquired from priest Baghalyan whether the phones were returned, is there an explanation from the law enforcement officers about what they have been looking for in the phones for almost a year?

“In that case, I myself was called to the investigative body as a witness, that I was present at the events in Aragatsotn Diocese, while I was not a priest of the diocese at that time, I was in Gugarats Diocese. In other words, after the elections of 2021, I was appointed to spiritual service in the diocese. I was called as if I had been directed by Reverend Mkrtich during the elections, but I was not on duty in the diocese at that time, moreover, I did not have time physically to participate in the 2021 elections,” noted Father Vrtanes.

He said that the law enforcement officers returned his daughter’s seized phone, but changed the password to access the phone, as a result, they are currently unable to use the phone, moreover, they received the phone from the investigative body with a non-working battery.

“Until now, the law enforcement officers have not returned my phone, they have kept my phone for so long without any reason. I told the law enforcement officers the password of my phone, they could check the whole phone in 10-15 minutes. Without a court notice, they first call for an investigation, confiscate my phone and don’t return it for almost a year. Imagine the frivolous environment created by them,” added the priest.

According to the clergyman’s observation, it seems that the law enforcement officers are not looking for anything in his phone, they just took it, because there is no secret information in his phone that could be “upset”.

“I have been serving in the diocese of Aragatsotn for 4 years, under the guidance of Bishop Mkrtich. He did not give us any instructions, on the contrary, he was a straitjacket for us in many cases. With his neutrality and paternal attitude, the bishop has been a supporter and helper for us in the spiritual service, what the law enforcement officers unreasonably assume did not happen. But until this moment, they forbid the reverend to go to the Presbytery and diocesan churches, to meet with us, in the event that we have the status of a witness. All of our priests in the diocese need the holy father’s advice on our way of service, but they do not allow us to meet with him.

You all remember that last year on December 18, during the invasion of the Mother See, I had an acute heart attack. If the reverend was free, he could have helped me with many questions. But I continue to serve in the high altitude zone, despite my health problems, because theoretically today they are not allowed to meet and talk with the reverend. The spiritual life of the diocese has been illegally obstructed,” emphasized priest Vrtanes Baghalyan.

Our interlocutor also added that until now Hovhannavank is occupied, the clergy of the church, Mr. Sargis and Mr. Manuk, cannot enter the church, because the disorganized priest is sitting there. People want to get married and baptized in that church, but they don’t want that ceremony to be performed by a disorganized priest. The police, which should have just kicked out the disorderly priest from the sanctuary owned by the Mother See, is supporting one more thing in order to keep the church occupied.

“Everyone knows that these processes against us are groundless, even the judges know that all this is frivolous, because it has never happened that the inner life of a spiritual structure was discussed by a secular court.

Until now, the people who broke into the Mother See have not been convicted, nor the group of drunken hooligans who tried to attack the Mother Cathedral, nor their leaders. “Let’s hope that the structure of the head of the CC, which is supported by our taxes, will return the telephones to us,” emphasized Reverend Vrtanes Baghalyan.

It should be noted that the Reverend Mkrtich remained in prison for about 5 months, in February his preventive detention was replaced by house arrest, and then in May, by administrative control.

According to the accusation, Reverend Mkrtich used his official powers to “obstruct the right to vote and forced priests of the diocese to participate in opposition gatherings.”

Let’s remind that these actions of Aragatsotn Diocese were carried out within the framework of the proceedings initiated on the basis of the statement made by Stepan Asatryan, the former spiritual pastor of Hovhannavank, on the air of Public TV. Ter Aram announced that in 2021 he was forced to participate in political gatherings.

The program was submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office by the NGO “Union of Informed Citizens”.

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