More than 8 clergymen from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church have been summoned to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, lawyer Ara Zohrapyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, these clergymen were summoned on different days and at different hours; for example, today at 10am and also at 2pm.

The lawyer noted that not only priests and clergy from the Aragatsotn Diocese were summoned to the Investigative Committee, but also high-ranking clergy from the Mother See.

“They were summoned as part of the criminal proceedings related to the audio recording involving Archbishop Natan. At the moment, they have the status of witnesses,” Zohrapyan said.

In October, a 2023 audio recording was circulated through Armenian pro-government media, in which Father Aghan Yeranjakyan—former crosier-bearer to Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II—in conversation with Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the Mother See, complains that the Catholicos is forcing the clergy to participate in anti-government demonstrations.

And on October 17, it became known that criminal proceedings had been launched based on the aforesaid controversial audio recording.