On January 21, less than 24 hours after publicly expressing support for Pashinyan’s so-called “church reforms,” Ter Artashes Hakobyan, parish priest of Vosketap in the Masyatsotn Diocese, retracted his statement and reaffirmed his support for the Catholicos, following an earlier warning by the Masyatsotn Diocese of direct pressure being applied to clergy.
The Masyatsotn Diocese reported that in recent days attempts were made to pressure priests into aligning with the former Masyatsotn Primate, Gevorg Saroyan, who was removed from his position after publicly aligning himself with Pashinyan, and to recognize his authority. According to the Diocese, this pressure was applied by various individuals, including municipal employees operating within the structures of Pashinyan’s government, as well as people considered influential and close to the priests’ personal circles.
In his January 21 statement, Ter Artashes said that his previous post was the result of external influence, a misjudgment of reality, and psychological strain. He stated that the declaration did not reflect his true views, reaffirmed the January 17, 2026 collective statement of the Masyatsotn clergy, apologized to his parishioners, and asked to be remembered in their prayers.
The statement he withdrew, published on January 20, was explicit. Ter Artashes publicly aligned himself with Gevorg Saroyan and other clerics promoting the “church reforms” agenda advanced by Pashinyan and his government. The wording closely mirrored that used by clerics who have publicly supported this approach toward the Armenian Apostolic Church.
This episode must be understood within the broader campaign conducted by Pashinyan and his government against the Armenian Apostolic Church, during which the Church’s leadership and canonical authority have been openly challenged, internal Church matters framed as subjects of political “reform,” and public pressure on clergy actively encouraged.
At present, four high-ranking clergymen are imprisoned on political charges. More than two dozen individuals connected to the defense of the Church remain in detention. Many others associated with the Church are under constant investigation, repeatedly summoned for questioning, or subjected to sustained pressure to align with Pashinyan and his government. In parallel, Pashinyan has relied on the public backing of around ten high-ranking clerics who have supported calls for “reform” and participated in advancing plans to reshape the Church.
Taken together, these arrests, investigations, targeted pressure on clergy, and selective clerical support form a single environment in which public statements, rapid reversals, and forced “corrections” are increasingly occurring.
