Holy Etchmiadzin issued statement expressing indignation at   reprehensible campaign unleashed by 

ArmInfo.Armenian authorities and  Prime Minister against  Armenian Church Yerevan, July 4, ArmInfo. The Holy Mother See of Etchmiadzin has  issued a statement. It reads, in particular:

"We, the bishops and heads of the dioceses serving in Armenia and the  Diaspora, united by the will of the Lord in the Holy Mother See of  Holy Etchmiadzin, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Karekin II,  Catholicos of All Armenians, offer thanks and glory to Almighty God  for this opportunity to renew our covenant of service.

We reaffirm our unconditional love, loyalty and devoted service to  our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church  founded by the preaching of  the Apostles Saint Thaddeus and Saint  Bartholomew, and the Christ-based Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,  sanctified through the vision of His Holiness Patriarch Saint Gregory  the Illuminator.

We are deeply outraged by the reprehensible campaign unleashed by the  Armenian authorities and the Prime Minister  against the Armenian  Church, the Catholicos of All Armenians and high-ranking clergy,  accompanied by the spread of hatred and hostility towards the clergy,  as well as personal insults and disrespectful expressions.

This anti-church campaign is nothing less than a catastrophic blow to  the Armenian people and Armenian statehood, given the existential  challenges unfolding around Armenia. The weakening and discrediting  of the Armenian Church can only benefit anti-Armenian forces and  enemies of Armenians. We strongly condemn the invasion of law  enforcement officials into the territory of the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin on June 27 of this year with the aim of arresting His  Eminence Archbishop Michael Ajapahyan and threatening to use violence  against clergy and believers. The decision to forcibly detain  Archbishop Michael when he expressed his willingness to voluntarily  appear before law enforcement agencies, which is what happened, is  perplexing. Another clear manifestation of the anti-church policy of  the authorities is the imprisonment of national benefactor Samvel  Karapetyan, related to his statement in defense of the Armenian  Church. In the context of systematic propaganda of the ruling  political force, a criminal prosecution was initiated on serious  charges, and His Eminence Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was also  deprived of his freedom. The persecution of our spiritual brothers,  national benefactors and our compatriots associated with them is  openly accompanied by public instructions and the dissemination of  hate speech by high-ranking officials of the ruling political force,  declaring them guilty even before a court verdict is issued.

Such a style of action by the authorities grossly violates the  principles of the presumption of innocence and the separation of  powers guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, and  testifies to the political background of the process, which calls  into question its legality.

We call on the authorities of the Republic of Armenia to immediately  release our spiritual brothers, national benefactors and our  compatriots associated with them, and to act exclusively within the  framework of the law, ensuring their right to a fair trial. We  consider it unacceptable for the authorities, as well as anyone else,  to encroach on the Patriarchal throne and the canonical principles of  the Church. With filial humility, our episcopal and diocesan leaders  express their devotion to the popularly elected ruler of the Armenian  Church, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Armenian Church, with the National-Church Assembly as its supreme  body, will henceforth continue to be governed by its age-old  procedures, excluding any external interference. The clergy of the  Armenian Church in Armenia and throughout the Diaspora will continue  to spread the true teachings of Jesus Christ and educate the children  of our people in the spiritual and national spirit, thoughtfully and  adequately responding to both internal and international challenges,  fulfilling the command of the Lord to be a herald of truth (cf. John  8:32).

We call upon the children of our Holy Church to remain steadfast in  their faith in God, faithful to their positions of protecting  national shrines and cherished values, and not to participate in  schismatic actions.  We pray that the Lord of Heaven will keep our  homeland Armenia and the God-blessed Armenian people in peace,  justice, prosperity and security, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,  which He Himself founded, unshakable, which is the pillar of Armenian  identity and statehood, and the Patriarchal Scepter of the Armenian  Patriarch prosperous."