Garegin II’s brother and nephew have been placed under house arrest.
Caucasian Knot
The court has softened the pretrial detention of the brother and nephew of the Catholicos of All Armenians, who were in custody on charges of obstructing election campaigning.
As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” the brother and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II – Gevork (also referred to as Gevorg) Nersisyan and Hambardzum Nersisyan – were detained on November 2, 2025, on charges of obstructing the election campaign and hooliganism. The following day, both were arrested.
The criminal complaint was filed on November 2, 2025, by Harutyun Mkrtchyan, a member of the Republic party and candidate for mayor of Etchmiadzin. He claimed that the Nersisyans had interfered with his election campaign the day before. However, his lawyer, citing available video footage, claimed that there was “not even a hint of a crime” in the case. According to him, Ambartsum Nersisyan was standing near his home when a man approached him and invited him to participate in the “Republic” congress. Nersisyan refused, and the man tried to persuade him, after which Gevork Nersisyan approached him. The three of them talked and dispersed peacefully.
On February 17, the Armavir Regional Court of First Instance replaced the pre-trial detention of Gevork Nersisyan with house arrest for three months, bail of one million drams (about $2,656), and a travel ban, News.am reports.
The pre-trial detention of Catholicos Hambardzum Nersisyan’s nephew was similarly changed, the publication writes.
As a reminder, the article on obstructing election campaigning (Article 211 of the Criminal Code of Armenia) provides for up to three years imprisonment.
Pashinyan’s long-running conflict with the church escalated in 2025
On January 4, the leader “Civil Contract,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced plans to “improve” the Armenian Apostolic Church, which include the removal of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the adoption of a new charter, and the election of a new head of the church.
After the Christmas service, Nikol Pashinyan accused the Catholicos of All Armenians of schism in the church and sectarianism. Persecution of the church undermines the authority of the state, Garegin II stated.
On February 14, it became known that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia initiated criminal prosecution of the Catholicos for obstructing the execution of a judicial act related to the defrocked Archbishop Gevorg Saroyan. The Catholicos is also banned from leaving the country.
The conflict between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been ongoing since 2018, when Pashinyan came to power. This conflict became apparent against the backdrop of the 2020 Karabakh War and the authorities’ desire to improve relations with Turkey, according to analysts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot.”
In May 2025, Nikol Pashinyan harshly criticized the Church and responded to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan’s objections with insults on Facebook*. Armenian politicians and church representatives demanded that Pashinyan apologize for insulting the church.
In December 2025, the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was announced. Prior to this, he had stated that he would not resign as head of the chancery of Etchmiadzin. Khachatryan linked his persecution to his stance on Armenian government policy. The court remanded him in custody on drug trafficking charges.
In mid-October 2025, the head of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Mkrtich Proshyan, and priest Garegin Arsenyan were arrested on charges of coercion to participate in public meetings. Earlier, the court sentenced Mikael Ajapayan, Primate of the Shirak Diocese, to two years in prison.
As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” the brother and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II – Gevork (also referred to as Gevorg) Nersisyan and Hambardzum Nersisyan – were detained on November 2, 2025, on charges of obstructing the election campaign and hooliganism. The following day, both were arrested.
The criminal complaint was filed on November 2, 2025, by Harutyun Mkrtchyan, a member of the Republic party and candidate for mayor of Etchmiadzin. He claimed that the Nersisyans had interfered with his election campaign the day before. However, his lawyer, citing available video footage, claimed that there was “not even a hint of a crime” in the case. According to him, Ambartsum Nersisyan was standing near his home when a man approached him and invited him to participate in the “Republic” congress. Nersisyan refused, and the man tried to persuade him, after which Gevork Nersisyan approached him. The three of them talked and dispersed peacefully.
On February 17, the Armavir Regional Court of First Instance replaced the pre-trial detention of Gevork Nersisyan with house arrest for three months, bail of one million drams (about $2,656), and a travel ban, News.am reports.
The pre-trial detention of Catholicos Hambardzum Nersisyan’s nephew was similarly changed, the publication writes.
As a reminder, the article on obstructing election campaigning (Article 211 of the Criminal Code of Armenia) provides for up to three years imprisonment.
Pashinyan’s long-running conflict with the church escalated in 2025
On January 4, the leader “Civil Contract,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced plans to “improve” the Armenian Apostolic Church, which include the removal of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the adoption of a new charter, and the election of a new head of the church.
After the Christmas service, Nikol Pashinyan accused the Catholicos of All Armenians of schism in the church and sectarianism. Persecution of the church undermines the authority of the state, Garegin II stated.
On February 14, it became known that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia initiated criminal prosecution of the Catholicos for obstructing the execution of a judicial act related to the defrocked Archbishop Gevorg Saroyan. The Catholicos is also banned from leaving the country.
The conflict between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been ongoing since 2018, when Pashinyan came to power. This conflict became apparent against the backdrop of the 2020 Karabakh War and the authorities’ desire to improve relations with Turkey, according to analysts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot.”
In May 2025, Nikol Pashinyan harshly criticized the Church and responded to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan’s objections with insults on Facebook*. Armenian politicians and church representatives demanded that Pashinyan apologize for insulting the church.
In December 2025, the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was announced. Prior to this, he had stated that he would not resign as head of the chancery of Etchmiadzin. Khachatryan linked his persecution to his stance on Armenian government policy. The court remanded him in custody on drug trafficking charges.
In mid-October 2025, the head of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Mkrtich Proshyan, and priest Garegin Arsenyan were arrested on charges of coercion to participate in public meetings. Earlier, the court sentenced Mikael Ajapayan, Primate of the Shirak Diocese, to two years in prison.
