The Armenian community in Belgium has declared that recent “brazen attacks in Armenia” were aimed not only at the Catholicos but also at the unity and identity of the nation.

“At the Belgian Armenian church, community representative Karen Tadevosyan stated these attacks by Pashinyan aim to undermine the very foundations of the Armenian people,” Panorama.am reports.

The statement notes that, even after defamatory remarks from authorities, the Armenian Apostolic Church continues to be the most respected institution of the Armenian people.

Concerns are raised that the crackdowns and arrests target anyone asserting their constitutional right to moderately criticize the current government.

Karen Tadevosyan announced that a delegation from the church will proceed to the Armenian embassy in Belgium to lay wreaths – symbolizing the end of democracy in Armenia.

On the morning of June 25, law enforcement began searching the homes of supporters of the Sacred Struggle movement. The Investigative Committee stated that members and leaders of this movement had been planning “terrorist activities and a coup” in Armenia. Later, it was revealed that the movement’s leader, Archbishop Bagrat, was arrested and remanded in custody for two months, along with 14 others.

On the morning of June 27, about 30 masked individuals stormed the Shirak diocese’s headquarters. Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for a clergy assembly, when the National Security Service entered the premises to detain him. Archbishop Ajapahyan later appeared before the Investigative Committee and was remanded for two months. He faces charges of publicly calling for the overthrow of government, compromising territorial integrity, renouncing sovereignty, or violently subverting the constitutional order.