A rally in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and its spiritual leader, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, was held on February 5, 2026, outside the Armenian Embassy in Moscow, according to TASS. Participants protested against actions by the Armenian authorities which, according to the Church and its supporters, amount to pressure on the clergy and state interference in church affairs.

The demonstration began with a prayer. Protesters held placards calling for the release of clergymen arrested in Yerevan, as well as slogans reading “Freedom” and “Our cross is our strength” in both Russian and Armenian. Representatives of the Armenian diaspora and members of the clergy took part in the rally.

Father Gevorg Vardanyan of the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church said that, in Armenia, criminal cases are being initiated under various pretexts against clergy and laypeople who publicly defend the Church. “Society has become divided, and people have stopped listening to one another,” he said.

Tensions between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church have escalated since 2020, when the Church’s leadership called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, criticizing his policies following the events surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. In recent months, the confrontation has entered what observers describe as an open phase.

The latest surge in tensions was triggered by criminal cases against several AAC hierarchs, including Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, head of the Chancellery of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His arrest was extended this week by another two months. His defense team and Church representatives have described the charges as politically motivated, while Armenian authorities deny persecuting the Church, insisting the cases concern purely criminal and moral offenses.

Additional concern within church circles has been raised by actions of law enforcement agencies that lawyers say could be aimed at restricting foreign travel by Catholicos Karekin II and members of the Supreme Spiritual Council. These concerns are linked to preparations for a Bishops’ Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church scheduled to take place in Austria from February 16 to 19.

Against the backdrop of the conflict, Prime Minister Pashinyan has unveiled a plan to “renew” the Armenian Apostolic Church, which предусматривает changes to the procedure for electing the Catholicos and the possibility of his resignation. Church representatives argue that such initiatives violate the principle of separation between church and state and could lead to a deep internal split.