Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin issues statement regarding release of audio recordings allegedly featuring Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan

Recordings of phone conversations purportedly belonging to Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan have been circulated by media outlets aligned with the government. Amid the authorities’ actions against the Armenian Church—including the recent detention of dozens of clergy and the arrest of two priests—it is already evident who stands behind this latest move, the Mother See said in a statement.

“In recent days, the entire law enforcement and judicial system has been mobilized to carry out illegal, anti-church directives. The circulation of alleged statements attributed to the Catholicos of All Armenians aims to discredit the Church and incite hostility toward the clergy,” reads the statement.

“The violation of the confidentiality of telephone conversations is itself a criminal act and a separate matter, to which we hope the law enforcement bodies will respond appropriately,” the Mother See added.