Hayakve reports a crime involving defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan to  the Prosecutor General`s Office of Armenia

ArmInfo.  The civic initiative Hayakve has submitted a report to the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia regarding a crime related to the conducting a liturgy  by defrocked cleric Stepan Asatryan (formerly Father Aram) at Hovhannavank Monastery in the Aragatsotn Diocese under the  patronage of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

As noted by the initiative coordinator, Avetik Chalabyan, in an  interview with journalists, Pashinyan has interfered with the  activities of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). Chalabyan  noted that the campaign against the Armenian Church began with calls  to "liberate the Catholicosate from the Catholicos," and has now  continued on the territory of Hovhannavank. "During this illegal  liturgy, violence was used against followers of the Armenian  Apostolic Church, including clergy who were barred from entering the  church. For this purpose, the Prime Minister illegally used law  enforcement resources. This is nothing less than the seizure and  desecration of a monastery," the movement's coordinator added.

Chalabyan noted that these events correspond to the crimes outlined  in Articles 209 and 441 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. He also  mentioned that the Armenian Apostolic Church holds exclusive rights  guaranteed by the state under Article 17 of the Constitution of  Armenia. "However, instead of protecting the rights of the Church,  the government, under the Prime Minister's keadership, is blatantly  violating them. But we can no longer stay silent; the Armenian  population must also understand this. They must realize that the  person in power is violating the country's laws in every possible  way. And we cannot allow them to exceed the law and  create chaos in  the country," Chalabyan added.

The coordinator of the Hayakve initiative assured that they will be  consistent in their actions and ensure that the report they submitted  becomes the basis for initiating a criminal case. "Unfortunately,  today we have all  witnessed how the prosecutor's office, instead of  protecting citizens' rights, serves the interests of the authorities.  However, despite this, we must do everything possible to ensure that  these violations are recorded by the law enforcement system. If the  Prosecutor General's Office refuses to open a case, we intend to go  to court, and continue to do so until these cases receive an  appropriate legal assessment," Chalabyan concluded.