NA MP: NA Speaker`s statements require legal assessment

ArmInfo. The statements by Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, accusing the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church of serving Russia's interests and committing pedophilia, need to properly assessed from a legal standpoint. Tigran Abrahamyan, a deputy from the opposition "With Honor" faction,  made this statement at a briefing on February 16.

He noted that these accusations should not remain suspended and must be addressed through legal proceedings. The parliamentarian emphasized that the full-scale attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II are a part of a policy that has been implemented since July 2025.  Abrahamyan also pointed out  that  these attacks actually began back in 2018 with varying intensity at different times, but reached its climax in July 2025. Therefore, it  was predictable that a new wave of tension surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church would arise.  "Why now? I think it's clear to everyone:  to disrupt the bishops' meeting scheduled for Austria at all costs," Tigran Abrahamyan emphasized.

Recall , earlier, in an interview with Ekaterina Kotrikadze, media manager and host of the TV Rain channel, which is opposed to the Russian government and operates in exile, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan discussed two scenarios that justify criminal prosecutions against the Catholicos of All Armenians and other church leaders.