Armenia will put the head of its ancient Apostolic Church and six other clergy members on trial for allegedly failing to comply with a civil court ruling. The hearing is scheduled for Friday at the Armavir Regional Court in Vagharshapat, considered the spiritual capital of Armenia.
The seven defendants are accused of not reinstating a bishop who had been removed from office. If convicted, each could face up to two years in prison.
The Church dismissed Bishop Gevorg Saroyan in January on charges of abuse of power and neglect of duties. Saroyan is a supporter of Prime Minister Pashinyan, and both have called for Catholicos Karekin II to resign. Karekin is the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and spiritual leader of millions of Armenians worldwide.
Catholicos Karekin has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Pashinyan, who has accused the Catholicos and the Church of spying for Russia. However, Pashinyan has provided no specific evidence for these claims. The Catholicos and the Church deny any wrongdoing.
The trial is seen by observers as the latest development in a bitter confrontation between Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Church. The Church has criticized Pashinyan's handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, particularly his decision to cede territory to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan regained full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, and Catholicos Karekin blames Pashinyan for this.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Pashinyan accused Catholicos Karekin of having fathered a child out of wedlock, violating his vow of celibacy, and urged him to resign.
Political opposition figures, religious leaders, and civil society organizations argue that the prosecution of the Catholicos is politically motivated, part of a crackdown on government critics. Anna Melikyan, a lawyer at Armenia's non-profit organization Protection of Rights Without Borders, said the case violates the Armenian Apostolic Church's constitutional right to self-governance.
“This is a clear interference by the executive branch in the internal affairs of the church,” Melikyan said. She also expressed concerns about the independence of Armenia's judiciary, especially in politically sensitive cases, including those involving the church and clergy.
