- 11 May, 2026
- Uncategorized
Father Timofey Ghazaryan, an Armenian priest (a minister of the Russian Orthodox Church), is actively involved at the 102nd military base located in Gyumri. Officially, he is the assistant to Colonel Alexander Bezborodov, commander of the 102nd military base, and is in charge of work with religious servicemen. He has active and close contacts with the clergy of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including through joint events.
His functions include having individual conversations with soldiers and providing them with spiritual support in stressful or difficult family situations. However, according to the information we have received, Father Timofey is also openly campaigning for the abolition of the statehood of the Republic of Armenia on an almost daily basis.
According to information received from two different sources, the priest carries out his “service” against our state in the Orthodox churches adjacent to the military base: St. Alexandra (located within the perimeter of the 102nd military base) and sometimes in the church of St. Michael the Archangel (near the Hill of Honor). Father Timofey’s activities and connections are not limited to the 102nd military base. He is presumably one of the representatives of the Russian state institutional network operating in Armenia.
Evidence of this is the donation made by the “Moscow House” in Yerevan to the churches adjacent to the military base in July 2023. It is known that the “Moscow House” is not merely a cultural center. It is funded by the Russian government and is one of the official platforms for exercising Russian “soft power.”
Electoral blackmail and foreign interference
Most notably, the 102nd military base located in Gyumri is apparently used to exert direct pressure on the electoral processes in Armenia, the main target of which are the Armenian citizens working at military base.
The citizens, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of possible persecution by the military base leadership, report that they are directly forced to vote for a specific political party, otherwise threatened with dismissal. Moreover, the Russian military leadership apparently demands that employees extend this obligation to their family members, relatives, and friends, thus increasing the number of controlled votes.
Thus, according to the reliable information we have received, the military base leadership is apparently violating Article 23, Part 1 (6) of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, as well as committing an offense under Article 40.8 (1) of the RA Code on Administrative Offenses and crimes under Article 210 (3) and Article 211 (2) of the RA Criminal Code.
The apparent actions of the military leadership of the Russian military base and those of Father Timofey should be subject to proper investigation by the competent authorities. Previously, the Union of Informed Citizens had addressed the issue of electoral crimes committed on the territory of the Russian military base or by its servicemen (employees) falling within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Armenia.
Union of Informed Citizens
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office
