Galyan on Pashinyan's Liturgy Visit and Leaked Video

The Minister of Justice of Armenia, Srbuhi Galyan, during a briefing with journalists at the National Assembly, addressed the recent tension between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, commenting on both the Prime Minister's participation in the liturgy of a defrocked clergyman and the video attributed to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan.

Responding to the criticism of whether Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan exceeded his authority by attending the liturgy of a clergyman whom the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin had declared defrocked, Minister Galyan drew a clear distinction between official powers and personal preferences. According to her, "attending a liturgy is outside the scope of the powers of the prime minister or any other official."

Galyan emphasized that such a step should be viewed not as an official action, but as a personal choice. "It is simply a desire that anyone can have, including the prime minister," she noted, effectively stressing that the prime minister's visit was of a purely personal nature.

During the briefing, the minister also commented on the video circulating on the internet and attributed to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. She strongly condemned any interference in private life, regardless of who it concerns. "The phenomenon is unacceptable. Any interference in private life, especially if it is accompanied by the publication of certain information, is not only unacceptable but also criminally punishable," Galyan stated.

She noted that she is not aware of who or why the video in question was filmed and distributed, but emphasized that if the video is not fake, then its content could be considered a report of a crime that law enforcement agencies should deal with.