AntiKor: Armenia`s Investigative Committee  exerting severe pressure  on relatives of Archbishop Arshak

ArmInfo. The Investigative Committee of Armenia is exerting severe pressure on the relatives of  the arrested Archbishop Arshak Khachtaryan, head of the chancery of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin, as noted  in a statement issued by the AntiKor initiative.

The statement received indicates that AntiKor  has once again  received information confirming the launch of a new, more severe  round of political pressure on Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan. "Today,  early in the morning of December 9, investigators from the  Investigative Committee and special forces conducted parallel  searches related to a high-profile video footage, where Archbishop  Arshak is the actual victim: at the home of Archbishop Arshak's  uncle's wife, where his sons also live, and at the home of her  daughter, where she lives with her family. During the searches, all  equipment was seized: telephones, computers, and any electronic data  storage devices," the AntiKor statement reads.

It is noted that the searches were conducted simultaneously with the  special forces' invasion. Furthermore, the security forces did not   allow the residents to contact a lawyer. "A noteworthy and disturbing  circumstance is that, according to AntiKor sources, the search of one  of the apartments was conducted without a court order. Moreover, the  residents were denied the search report, which is another gross  violation of the law," the statement continues.

"The Investigative Committee and the National Security Service are  using a 'retroactive legalization' mechanism, whereby an operation is  carried out first, and a judge's approval is obtained later, with a  pre- arranged date. This practice cannot be a mistake or an accident:  it is a systematic, well-established technique against those  undesirable to the authorities.

As we have previously reported, the investigation is attempting to  promote the hypothesis of a 'family conspiracy' through which the  authorities are attempting to: intrude into Archbishop Arshak's  family circle; exert pressure on his relatives; and, through  psychological pressure, force the bishop to abandon his position and  stop defending the church," the AntiKor statement continues.

AntiKor notes that the searches conducted on December 9 are a direct  manifestation of these goals and indicate that the case is being  investigated not with the goal of solving a crime, but is being used  as a tool of political punitive policy. The intrusion into Archbishop  Arshak's family is aimed at exerting maximum pressure on him. "The  authorities are constructing an artificial, politically advantageous  scenario to suppress and discredit Archbishop Arshak and his family,"  AntiKor added.

The AntiKor platform was created through the joint efforts of the  human rights group LEGIST and the National Anti-Corruption Council  Foundation. Drawing on LEGIST's extensive professional experience  in  documenting the systemic nature and colossal scale of corruption in  Armenia, the platform aims to establish a unified and effective  system for combating corruption through legal support, research, and  public awareness.