The police are removing from the area the people who came to support the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The joint prayer service in the Etchmiadzin Cathedral has concluded, while the bishops and archbishops who had pledged loyalty to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a brief statement and left the area; however, the situation remains tense.

People continue chanting, “His Holiness,” addressing the Catholicos.

The doors of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral were closed a short while ago, but the people are not leaving the area.

As reported earlier, the ten bishops and archbishops, who support Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, on Wednesday issued a statement calling on people to join them at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on Thursday at 5pm to demand the resignation of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II.

Subsequently, the Diocese of Aragatsotn, whose primate is among the detained high-ranking clergymen, issued a statement on relocating its planned joint prayer service from the Byurakan village church to the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The joint prayer service in support of the detained clergymen had kicked off today at 5pm, simultaneously with the gathering of those demanding the Catholicos’ resignation.

Large-scale police forces have been deployed in the area.