The 18-year-old Davit Minasian was set free pending trial one day after being moved back to prison from a Yerevan hospital where he received treatment for a head injury reportedly sustained by him during the March 29 incident. His lawyers protested against the transfer, saying that he has still not recovered from the concussion.
Minasian’s release was ordered by the same prosecutor who refused to free him as recently as last Friday, dismissing appeals from Armenian civic groups and many citizens. The development came the day after a group of women began a daily sit-in outside the Office of the Prosecutor-General in Yerevan to protest against his imprisonment.
“By taking Davit back [to prison,] they simply want to intimidate and silence rebellious citizens,” one of the women told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service earlier on Tuesday.
Armenia - Supporters of Davit Minasian picket the Office of the Prosecutor-General, Yerevan, April 9, 2026.
The incident in question occurred during a Plam Sunday Mass in St. Anne’s Church. The church was packed with worshippers when Pashinian unexpectedly arrived there with his bodyguards, who cleared the way for his passage. A visibly annoyed Minasian told them not to push him and said he wants to keep “standing in the middle” of the church.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he then told Pashinian before stretching a hand towards his shoulder.
Minasian was punched and knocked down by one of the bodyguards. He was arrested and charged with hooliganism and obstruction of Pashinian’s “political activities” shortly after the premier left the church amid angry cries from other believers.
Also arrested were his twin brother Mikael and another citizen. They both were charged but freed two days later.
Pashinian and his political allies have defended Minasian’s arrest, saying that the student assaulted the prime minister. Armenian opposition figures counter, however, that the church incident was the result of what they see as Pashinian’s provocative behavior. They claim that Pashinian ordered the arrest in a bid to intimidate disgruntled Armenians ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.
Pashinian has spent the past several weekends touring various parts of the country and talking to people on what amounted to election campaign trips. Some of those citizens caused him to lose his temper by openly denouncing his policies or complaining about his government’s track record.