By Elen Muradyan
Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office has referred to court a criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and five senior Armenian Apostolic Church clerics, marking the first time in the country's modern history that the head of the Church will stand trial.
According to Armenia's Datalex judicial information system, the Catholicos and five members of the Supreme Spiritual Council are charged with deliberately obstructing the enforcement of a lawful court decision by abusing their official positions.
Also read: How Armenia’s Church and government conflict challenges secularism
The case stems from the dismissal of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, the former head of the Masyatsotn Diocese, by Karekin II in January 2026.
After being removed from office, Saroyan challenged the decision in court. The court ruled that, pending a final judgment, he should remain in his post and that the Armenian Apostolic Church must not interfere with the exercise of his authority or his control over the diocese's financial accounts.
Prosecutors say that despite both the court ruling and a formal notice from Armenia's Compulsory Enforcement Service, the Catholicos and the Supreme Spiritual Council proceeded to defrock Saroyan, thereby knowingly violating the court's order.
Alongside Karekin II, charges have been filed against Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Vahan Hovhannesyan, Bishop Edgar Hakobyan and Bishop Artur Hakobyan. Authorities have also imposed a travel ban on the Catholicos, preventing him from leaving Armenia.
Church rejects court intervention
The dispute has become a focal point in the broader confrontation between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church over the state's role in church affairs.
In March, clergy from the Masyatsotn Diocese criticized the interim court order, arguing that it effectively required them to recognize as diocesan leader a person who had already been defrocked and, under Church canon law, had reverted to lay status under his secular name, Arman Saroyan.
When announcing Saroyan's dismissal on January 10, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin said the decision was based on "abuse of the authority vested in the diocesan leader, neglect of official duties, and the use of coercion and pressure against diocesan clergy."
Saroyan is among the ten bishops who have publicly called for Karekin II's resignation. He has also held meetings with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and has repeatedly criticized the Catholicos in public statements.
Latest step in escalating state-Church tensions
The prosecution comes amid an unprecedented confrontation between Prime Minister Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the country's most influential institutions.
The authorities have over the past year launched criminal proceedings against several senior clergy, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, while the government has increasingly accused Church leaders of engaging in political activity.
Although prosecutors argue the case concerns compliance with a court order rather than religious matters, critics say it reflects a broader pattern in which criminal proceedings are increasingly being used against figures and institutions that have come into conflict with the government. The criminal case against the Catholicos follows a series of prosecutions targeting opposition politicians, business figures and senior clergy over the past year, raising concerns among government critics about the selective application of justice.
Also read: State Interference and the Erosion of Religious Freedom and Autonomy in Armenia
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