State Protection Service actions at St. Anna Church deemed necessary and sufficient: Head of Service

The actions of the State Protection Service (SPS) employees at Yerevan’s St. Anna Church were necessary and sufficient, SPS Head Artur Gasparyan told Aysor.am.

“On March 29, 2026, during the prevention of a citizen’s encroachment on a state-protected site at St. Anna Church on Abovyan Street, the actions of our employees were necessary and sufficient. They were aimed at preventing threats to state-protected objects, neutralizing any risks, and avoiding dangerous consequences,” Gasparyan said in response to a written request from Aysor.am.

He emphasized that to ensure the security of persons under special state protection, neutralize threats against them, and prevent harassment, SPS employees have the legal right to use physical force, special means, and weapons in accordance with the Law “On Ensuring the Security of Persons Subject to Special State Protection.”

During the intra-party campaign, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan toured the Kentron administrative district with party colleagues on Palm Sunday and later attended a liturgy at St. Anna Church. Some parishioners objected to his presence, resulting in an incident and the arrest of three individuals.

Twin brothers David and Michael Minasyan, along with freedom fighter Gevorg Gevorgyan, were detained. Gevorgyan and Michael Minasyan were later released, while 18-year-old David Minasyan was charged with striking the Prime Minister.

David, who has serious health issues, was repeatedly transferred between facilities: from the “Armavir” penitentiary to the Echmiadzin Medical Center, back to “Armavir,” then to the “Abovyan” penitentiary, and finally to the “Nairi” Medical Center.

Lawyer Lusine Martirosyan also published a video showing Nikol Pashinyan’s security guard striking the detained David inside St. Anna Church. This is the same security guard who, during a liturgy led by Stepan Asatryan in Hovhannavank, covered the mouth of a young man who had challenged the officiant’s right to celebrate the liturgy.