A tense situation has been created near the Surb Sargis Church (Yerevan), which is the residence of Navasard Kchoyan, Head of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
At the moment the church is cordoned by the police, ArmInfo's correspondent reports from the scene. The thing is that the members of the Ararat Union of the Armenian Apostolic Church should have held a protest action in front of the church at midday to support Ter Hakob Khachatryan, ex-head of the Union, who was dismissed by the recent decision of Navasard Kchoyan.
While preparing for the action, the members of the Ararat Union tried to set up microphones, but the employees of Kchoyan's chancellery were trying to disturb them in every possible way. This developed into an incident between Hayk Tadevosyan, the head of Kchoyan's staff, and deacon Vahram, representative of the Ararat Union. Tadevosyan attacked deacon Vahram and tore off the deacon's clothes.
To note, Kchoyan is reported to have dismissed Ter Hakob for the fact that press photographer Gagik Shamshyan said in one of the TV programs: "Ter Hakob is 1000 times as good as Navasard Kchoyan". According to media reports, this has caused Kchoyan's discontent and he dismissed Ter Hakob. However, the press service of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church denies this version.
Navasard Kchoyan's name is often mentioned in various suspicious stories, for instance, in the offshore scandal with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. The public is also discontent with the fact that Kchoyan's jet-setting lifestyle is not becoming to a clergyman. To recall, Kchoyan drives a Bentley.