Armenian Church-State Conflict Escalates Amid Cleric Arrests

The Armenian Church is experiencing intensified friction with the government following the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan on drug-planting charges from 2018. This forms part of broader tensions over church-state relations and recent peace negotiations with Azerbaijan. Multiple clerics face allegations of coup attempts against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

A senior Armenian Church figure, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, was detained on charges of planting drugs on protesters seven years ago, amid a deepening rift between church and state. His lawyer termed the charges 'absurd.' This matter arises during increasing criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government by the Church.

The Armenian government, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, is at odds with the Armenian Apostolic Church, partially due to ongoing peace talks with Azerbaijan, which some see as unfavorable. This schism worsened after the U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, prompting clerics to call for Pashinyan's resignation.

The arrest of multiple prominent clerics, accused of coup plots, has deepened the conflict. One bishop is already imprisoned, and another awaits trial. The church sees these actions as politically motivated. This has led to divisions within the clergy, with calls for the resignation of the Church's supreme head, Karekin II, increasing.

(With inputs from agencies.)