Prosecutor resigns in Armenian Catholicos case after three judges decline to proceed

By Siranush Adamyan

The prosecutor in the criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six senior clerics has resigned, the latest development in proceedings that have already stalled after three judges declined to move forward with the case.

Prosecutor Khachatur Galstyan left his position at his own request, Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed to CivilNet on Saturday. The office said his “resignation was unrelated to the case.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office said Galstyan had carried out the criminal prosecution and sent the case to court with an indictment.

The case has yet to reach substantive hearings after being assigned to three judges since proceedings began in August.

Judge Hakob Manukyan, who was initially assigned the case, recused himself on Aug. 7, saying his previous work as a lawyer could raise questions about his impartiality.

The case was then reassigned to Judge Serzh Rushanyan on Aug. 10. On Aug. 28, Rushanyan sent it to a Yerevan court, saying the indictment against Karekin II did not specify where the alleged offense had taken place, leaving territorial jurisdiction unresolved. 

Judge Vahagn Melikyan of the Yerevan Court of First Instance became the third judge assigned to the case. On Sept. 3, he referred the jurisdictional dispute to Armenia’s Court of Cassation, asking it to determine which court should hear the case. 

Karekin II and six members of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council are charged with deliberately obstructing the enforcement of a lawful court decision through the use of their official positions.

The case stems from Karekin II’s January decision to remove Bishop Gevorg Saroyan as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese. Saroyan challenged his dismissal in court, which ordered that he remain in office while the lawsuit was pending and barred the Church from obstructing his duties or control over diocesan finances.

Despite the ruling, Karekin II and the Supreme Spiritual Council later defrocked Saroyan. Prosecutors say that decision deliberately circumvented and violated the court order.

The Armenian Apostolic Church rejects the prosecution’s position, saying the appointment and removal of bishops are governed by canon law and fall outside the jurisdiction of state courts.

The proceedings come amid a broader confrontation between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Pashinyan has repeatedly called for Karekin II to resign, while the Church has accused the government of political interference in its internal affairs. Saroyan was among a group of bishops who had publicly called for the Catholicos’ resignation.