Arsen Babayan, the lawyer representing Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, has commented on his client’s expectations regarding the case.

Babayan said he visits Archbishop Arshak every day. “Everything is fine, normal. His Eminence sends greetings to everyone,” he told Aysor.am .

Asked about expectations for the case’s development, the lawyer said the anticipated outcome is political. “Given that this is political in nature, a political persecution, the expectation is a political outcome. It would not be accurate to say that expectations from legal mechanisms are high,” Babayan noted.

On December 9, law enforcement officers carried out searches at the apartments of Archbishop Arshak’s maternal uncle and his daughter, seizing all mobile phones and computers. Commenting on this, Babayan said the obvious aim of involving his client’s family members is to exert pressure on Archbishop Arshak and his close relatives.

According to the lawyer, the seized equipment has not yet been returned.

On December 5, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was remanded in custody for two months. He was detained on December 4 by National Security Service officers at the Investigative Committee building. The Investigative Committee stated that the detention was carried out within the framework of a specific criminal case.

Archbishop Arshak has been charged under Article 393, Part 2, Clauses 1 and 4 of Armenia’s Criminal Code. The Committee said that during the preliminary investigation, public criminal prosecution was initiated on charges of illegal drug trafficking by a group of persons acting by prior agreement in a public place.