Karekin II’s Chief of Staff implicated in planting illegal drugs in a protester’s bag, then calling Police
Posted on May. 3. 2020
BY APPO JABARIAN
Ever since climbing to the Throne of Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II and his pontifical administration have been rocked by a litany of personal scandals.
n April 26, a leading member of New Armenia, New Catholicos movement in Armenia, Kevork Yazedjian wrote an eye-catching report. The report revealed that back in July 2018, during a protest sit-in at the Catholicosate seeking the resignation of Karekin II, the beleaguered pontiff’s ally, Chief of Staff/Chancellor of the Catholicosate Bishop Arshak Khachatryan ordered a subordinate to plant illicit drugs in protester’s backpack and then called the Police.
Yazedjian’s report was sent to Republic of Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Republic of Armenia Investigative Committee, Republic of Armenia Police, Republic of Armenia National Assembly Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan and the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
According to the report, the incident happened “in the afternoon of July 8, 2018 at the Catholicosate Chancellor’s office.” (Etchmiadzin is also known by its historic name Vagharshapat. It is located in Armenia’s Armavir Region).
On that day “the Etchmiadzin/Vagharshapat Police Department received a phone call from a mobile phone device inside the Catholicosate alleging that there were illegal drugs in the belongings of one of the protesters participating in the sit-in at the Mother See’s pontifical reception hall. Upon arrival, the Police immediately searched the items and found nothing forbidden. Shortly afterwards, the Police received another phone call from the same mobile device with a similar allegation. The Police searched the same bag again, and, to their surprise, found a small amount of cannabis in the bag” wrote Yazedjian.
“At that moment the Etchmiadzin/Vagharshapat Police department opened a criminal case (No. 57174118) and initiated a preliminary investigation,” added Yazedjian.
However, “when Chancellor Khachatryan’s first attempt to falsely accuse a victim failed, and his misdeed was exposed, the Police and the Armavir District Attorney’s office began dragging their feet in order to cover up Armavir Region District Attorney Koryun Nersisyan’s uncle Catholicos Karekin II’s involvement. District Attorney Nersisyan is Catholicos Karekin II’s nephew.” underlined Yazedjian.
Yazedjian further reported: “It turns out that the person who called the police twice was the same person, Deacon Sevak Derderian, a staff member at the Mother See’s Chancellor’s office. The participants of the sit-in protest also uncovered that Deacon Sevak had confessed to the two calls from his device. Deacon Derderian also confessed that he had been ordered by Chancellor Bishop Arshak Khachatryan to place the calls to the Police, A few days later, Karekin II personally handed Deacon Sevak Derderian an envelope containing $1,000.00 (one thousand U.S. dollars) in cash as ‘a token of gratitude.’ 22 months have passed since the day of the incident. Despite all the clear evidence that the plotter was ‘Bishop’ Arshak Khachatryan, at least with the knowledge of Karekin II, to this day, the law enforcement authorities of Armavir Region (under Karekin II’s nephew) continue to claim that they ‘can’t complete the preliminary investigation’ of the case.”
On October 2, 2018, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Nikol Pashinyan was presented with a complaint against the Armavir Region’s Law Enforcement authorities condemning the latter’s illegal behavior.
On December 12, 2018, “Armenian Church Reform Armenia” and “New Armenia-New Catholicos” members organized a protest rally in front of the government building, demanding to meet with the Prime Minister.
A representative of PM Pashinyan met with the protesters and was handed the complaint reminding Mr. Pashinyan that even after the October 2 appeal and complaint, the Republic of Armenia law enforcement agencies “continued to cover by feigning working on the case,” concluded Yazedjian.
It is hopeful that PM Pashinyan’s administration and the Republic of Armenia’s law enforcement authorities will carry out their fiduciary duties toward the Armenian State’s citizens who are continuously victimized by Catholicos Karekin II and his clansmen.
This newest victim joins numerous other Armenian citizens in Armenia and the former Soviet space and Diaspora who have fallen victim to Karekin II and his clansmen.
On April 13, the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia (NSS-RA) indicted Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan for his collusion with an Armenian businessman to defraud anther citizen of Armenia – an entrepreneur out of combined $12 million. (National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia (NSS-RA) is the Armenian equivalent of the KGB and FBI.)
Karekin II’s, Hovnan Derderian’s, Sinan Sinanian’s, Berg Setrakian’s and Attorney Joseph Kanimian’s fellow clansman Archbishop Kchoyan heads the Armenian Apostolic Church’s largest diocese encompassing Etchmiadzin, Yerevan and the southern Ararat province.
Many Armenians in Armenia and Diaspora are expressing deep concerns relating to Karekin II’s unsatiated thirst for abuse of power, and are asking, “When will all this end?” Many are insisting that Karekin II’s, his child molester blood-brother Moscow Diocese primate Yezras Nersisyan’s and Los Angeles Western Diocese primate Hovnan Derderian’s time has come to end” and that “all must go so the Armenian Church can be saved from total destruction!”
According to various sources, around 89% of Armenians in Armenia and Diaspora are opposed to Karekin II and believe that “he is a Communist KGB agent-turned an imposter in the church and is an undeserving occupier of the Holy Throne of Catholicos of All Armenians. His presence along with Derderian and others on the altar is blasphemy to the church.”
In early 1990’s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia became independent and took a vital step forward. However, Armenian Apostolic Church failed in restoring pre-Soviet era Armenian National Church Constitution or By-Laws that protects Armenian faithful’s democratic rights within the Armenian Church.
In terms of restoration of freedom and basic human rights for its citizens, while independent Armenian State took an important step forward to the 21st century, Armenian Church under Karekin II, Arch. Hovnan Derderian, Yezras of Moscow, took several steps backward toward the Middle Ages.
Armenian Church faithful in former Soviet bloc have not been as blessed as their brethren in the Free World – the classical Diaspora. Many Diaspora Armenians have stepped forward in expressing solidarity with their brethren living under Karekin II’s yoke and are in support of the restoration of Armenian Church By-Laws protecting their democratic rights within the Armenian Church.
Many are also hopeful that the post-Velvet Revolution Armenia will protect the rights of its citizens and shield them from all abuses being perpetrated by various criminal clans including Karekin II and his allies.