Criminal Justice as a Political Tool in Armenia
27.10.2025
By Tigran Grigoryan
On October 15, the Investigative Committee of Armenia detained ten clergymen from the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and conducted a search at the diocesan headquarters. The following day, authorities revealed that three individuals had been formally arrested, including the head of the diocese, Bishop Mkrtych Proshyan.
The charges against the clergy involve multiple provisions of the Armenian Criminal Code, including obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights using official position, coercing or obstructing participation in public assemblies through influence or material incentives, and misappropriation of large amounts of entrusted property. These actions were prompted by an interview given in September by another clergyman of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Father Aram Asatryan, in which he stated that he had participated in opposition rallies in 2021 against his will.
A related high-profile arrest occurred on October 16 when lawyer Alexander Kochubaev publicly criticized the criminal proceedings against the clergymen. In a Facebook post, he described investigators, prosecutors, and judges in derogatory terms. Hours later, Kochubaev was forcibly detained and subsequently imprisoned for two months. Authorities charged him under the Criminal Code for publishing defamatory information about judges, prosecutors, and investigators in connection with their professional activities.
Both of these cases fit within the pattern of recent concerning developments in which the authorities use law enforcement and the judiciary to address domestic political issues. It is evident that the criminal cases brought against the head of the Araratotn Diocese and other clergy are another episode in the confrontation between the state and the Church and carry clear political overtones.
Due to limited information about these cases, it is difficult to assess the legitimacy of the charges, but it is apparent that selective justice is once again at play. As evidence of this, one can recall the most recent mayoral elections in Yerevan in September 2023, where numerous similar violations by the ruling party were documented, yet no consequences ensued.
The “Eyewitness” observer mission noted in its final report on the 2023 Yerevan elections that the ruling Civil Contract party pressured employees of educational institutions – including schools, kindergartens, and cultural centers – to attend party rallies and promotional events, often making participation compulsory. In several instances, students and parents were also mobilized, with teachers and coaches emphasizing that attendance was mandatory. Numerous reports of these violations were published in the press, yet no criminal cases were initiated. Against this backdrop, the criminal proceedings and detention of clergymen from the Araratsotn Diocese for similar alleged actions four years later are difficult to view as anything other than politically motivated.
The case against Kochubaev represents another instance of the politically expedient use of the criminal justice system, in which individuals are targeted and punished primarily for their speech. It is also worth noting that between 2020 and 2023, 95 percent of criminal cases related to speech were brought against individuals who targeted the prime minister or his supporters.
In response to this and other recent troubling developments, on October 18, representatives of Armenian civil society issued a statement condemning the growing use of the criminal justice system as a political tool to silence dissent and restrict freedom of expression. They warned that selective and disproportionate prosecutions, including arrests for social media posts and critical speech, violate fundamental rights and undermine the rule of law. The statement denounced the use of detention as punishment and urged authorities to refrain from interfering with the judiciary, to ensure fair trials, and to uphold human rights and democratic standards.
These and previous politically motivated cases have dealt a serious blow to the notion of judicial and law-enforcement independence in Armenia. One of the core promises of the 2018 Velvet Revolution was to reform these institutions and ensure a level playing field, guaranteeing equal rights for all citizens regardless of political affiliation. Yet, the developments of the past six months paint a starkly different picture: public criticism of the government or political opposition to it can once again result in serious criminal consequences.
Democracy Watch is a joint initiative by CivilNet and the Regional Center for Democracy and Security.
This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.