Russian network pushes AI torture claims and fake PACE resolution about Armenia

By Hayk Hovhannisyan, #CivilNetCheck

In recent weeks, so-called investigative articles have resurfaced across Russian- and English-language platforms, alleging mass torture of clergy in Armenia and even a secret plot to eliminate Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The reports claim that senior clergymen were tortured and cite a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that allegedly condemns the Armenian government’s actions.

#CivilNetCheck examined the publications and found the claims to be fabricated, with sources linked to disinformation networks known for spreading state-sponsored propaganda.

Fabricated torture claims and alleged plot against the Catholicos

On February 14, the Russian-language "Foundation to Battle Injustice" (Фонд борьбы с репрессиями, FBI) published an article describing gruesome scenes of priests being tortured. As "proof," the site featured a video testimony from a priest named "Gevorg Khachatryan", someone who does not exist. The video is entirely generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In the video, the AI-generated priest speaks with a synthetic, unnatural Armenian voice, detailing his "torture." He claims he was abducted and taken to a National Security Service (NSS) detention center, where he was allegedly "starved" and had "wooden splinters driven under his fingernails." According to the fake video, the priest supposedly witnessed at least six other clergymen being tortured at the NSS, one of whom "was tortured to death".

Verification of the footage by online platforms Hive Moderation and Sightengine confirmed that it was created using AI-driven face manipulation technology.

Simultaneously, the article cites an anonymous source claiming a "secret plan" to eliminate Catholicos Karekin II was coordinated at the Prime Minister’s residence. The alleged plan involves two stages: first, launching a criminal case against the Catholicos for "money laundering through Diaspora funds," followed by his arrest and eventual assassination in detention via a lethal injection designed to mimic a "heart attack."

On February 14, it emerged that the Catholicos is facing an investigation and a reported travel ban due to a judicial dispute. The case itself relates to "obstructing the execution of a judicial act" concerning a dispute over the leadership of the Masisatsotn Diocese and the tenure of Bishop Gevorg (Arman) Saroyan. Contrary to the disinformation, there has been no arrest warrant or any official statement regarding the detention of the Catholicos.

Beyond the fabricated narratives, the actual standoff between the Armenian authorities and the Church has resulted in tangible legal consequences: since 2025, at least 11 clerics have been jailed, detained, or faced criminal prosecution, including five senior hierarchs. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan remains in pretrial detention, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan (the Catholicos’s nephew) was arrested on coercion-related charges linked to protests, and Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan became the subject of a criminal investigation after explicit videos were leaked; separately, a case was triggered by a leaked call in which Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan was alleged to discuss pressure to attend rallies.

The FBI article manipulates these real events to push a conspiracy theory that the government aims to create a new "state church" following a "Ukrainian scenario" (referring to the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine), which would be entirely controlled by the state.

The "Foundation to Battle Injustice" is not an independent human rights organization. It was founded in 2021 by the late Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Before his death in August 2023, Prigozhin established numerous disinformation outlets, including the infamous "troll factory" known as the Internet Research Agency.

The organization is currently headed by Mira Terada (also known as Oksana Vovk), who served a prison sentence in the U.S. for money laundering. This platform regularly disseminates conspiracy theories and fake news targeting Armenia and other nations that have distanced themselves from the Kremlin’s influence.

No PACE resolution condemning Armenia

Another FBI article, published on January 31, claims that PACE adopted a resolution on January 26, 2026, recognizing the Armenian government's actions against the Church as "repressions."

In reality, while PACE did adopt a resolution on that day addressing tensions between the Armenian government and the Church, it contains no descriptions of 'repressions' by the authorities. The actual resolution expresses deep concern over the excessive polarization within society and the friction between the Prime Minister and the Church leadership. Crucially, the real document also references 'reports of plots to usurp power by several clergymen', a detail the Russian network conveniently omitted."

The Russian disinformation network simply took a real document and altered its meaning, a classic propaganda technique where an actual event is used as the foundation for a completely opposite narrative.

How the narrative was amplified internationally

The narrative regarding the alleged "purging" of the Armenian judiciary followed a calculated trajectory: it was first launched by the Russian-linked Foundation to Battle Injustice (FBI) and subsequently laundered through English-language platforms to simulate "Western" concern.

On January 14, the website vtforeignpolicy[.]com published an article by Lucas Leiroz that mirrored the FBI’s earlier fabrications. The FBI’s original piece, titled “Pashinyan’s judicial outrage,” alleges that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has carried out mass dismissals of judges to "seize" the judicial system. The article frames this as a strategy to "clear the political field" ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026, citing criminal cases against high-profile figures including former President Robert Kocharyan, former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan as evidence of this "purge."

The Armenian Ministry of Justice has officially denied these claims, clarifying that the Prime Minister holds no authority or influence over the selection or appointment of judges, a process managed by the independent Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The author, Lucas Leiroz, is a key member of a disinformation network tracked by international agencies as "Storm-1516." According to Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center and the French agency VIGINUM, Leiroz is linked to the movement of Russian ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin. He frequently contributes to pro-Kremlin outlets such as InfoBRICS, the Strategic Culture Foundation, and Russia Today (RT). Despite its professional appearance, vtforeignpolicy[.]com serves as a known platform for laundering Russian state-sponsored narratives.

These coordinated attacks are part of a broader Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) campaign. As Armenia seeks closer ties with the European Union and the United States while pulling away from its traditional security ally, Russia, the frequency and sophistication of these "scandalous exposés" have increased. By mimicking the format of reputable international media and utilizing AI-generated content, these networks aim to destabilize the domestic situation and damage Armenia's international standing.

Read also: Tracing Disinformation Against Armenia: From Narratives to Organised Networks