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ISTANBUL

Russia is closely following the situation in the Armenian city of Echmiadzin after police attempted to detain a senior cleric accused of plotting a coup, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday, urging Armenian authorities to maintain stability and uphold democratic values.

“We are sincerely interested in ensuring that stability and legality are maintained in fraternal Armenia,” the ministry told the Russian state-run Tass news agency. “Yerevan must demonstrate a genuine commitment to democratic principles and respect for the feelings of the faithful.”

The remarks came after agents of the Armenian National Security Service entered the compound of Holy Echmiadzin, the spiritual headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church, to detain Archbishop Mikhael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese.

Ajapahyan, accused of making public calls to overthrow the government, was attending a meeting of the church’s spiritual council when officers arrived. The church said the archbishop had not been properly notified and later announced that he would voluntarily appear before the Investigative Committee.

“The Holy Echmiadzin calls upon the people not to succumb to provocations and to continue supporting the Church through all legal means,” said Nathan Ovannisyan, head of the church’s external relations department.

A large crowd gathered outside the church headquarters to protest the attempted detention, blocking security agents and preventing the cleric’s departure.

Ajapahyan is the latest church figure to face legal action amid growing tensions between religious authorities and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II has repeatedly called for Pashinyan to resign since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.

Earlier this week, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who leads the opposition Holy Struggle movement, was also detained during protests demanding the prime minister’s resignation.