World
Armenian Apostolic Church Leader Faces Trial Amid Escalating Tensions with PM
The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, and six other clergy will stand trial in Vagharshapat on Friday for allegedly ignoring a civil court order to reinstate a dismissed bishop. The case deepens the ongoing rift between the church and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has accused Karekin of spying for Russia and called for his resignation. Critics say the prosecution is politically motivated and violates the church's constitutional autonomy.