On August 15–17, Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, condemned the arrest of two clergymen who were speaking out on Karabakh, while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued a public apology over certain remarks flagged by the Armenian Corruption Prevention Commission.

Nathan Hovhannisyan stated that two high-ranking clergymen were arrested for speaking the truth. Hovhannisyan emphasized that the campaign against the church escalated after His Holiness declared in Bern that he was protecting the rights of the people of Karabakh and their heritage. "The authorities were unhappy with this," he stated, adding that such actions would not silence the clergymen. Hovhannisyan concluded, "Nikol Pashinyan will not be able to remove the Catholicos; the church is not a toy. It is not the National Assembly, to be sent an SMS on WhatsApp".

On August 17, Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page, apologizing to the public while noting his disagreement with some of the commission's assessments. "The Armenian Corruption Prevention Commission recorded a violation of the rules of conduct in my speech regarding two known episodes. Dear people, although I do not quite agree with some of the assessments in the decisions, I apologize to all of you," he stated.

Pashinyan emphasized that his apology referred specifically to the two expressions highlighted by the Commission and reaffirmed his commitment to upholding political, spiritual, and moral principles with the support of the people. He also noted the importance of better managing his emotions in the context of spiritual renewal and highlighted that tolerance and respect for state and democratic institutions are essential for political and national renewal.