Armenia charges Church leader for first time
Catholicos Karekin II, spiritual head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and six senior clergy are on trial for defying a court ruling
RastinewsCatholicos Karekin II, spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and six senior clergy are on trial in Armenia, accused of defying a court ruling.
The first hearing in the case against Karekin II opened in the Armenian city of Vagharshapat. It marks the first time in the country's history that a Catholicos has faced criminal prosecution, and the trial has drawn wide public attention.
At the initial pre-trial hearing, Judge Hakob Manukyan withdrew from the case after a recusal motion was filed. The opposition branded the hearing a "day of shame," and several opposition lawmakers left parliament to attend the court session.
Karekin II and six senior clergy members are charged with deliberately obstructing enforcement of a final court ruling and abuse of office. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison.
The case stems from the failure to reinstate Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who was removed from his post, despite a court order requiring his reinstatement. Tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church have deepened in recent months, with mutual accusations traded between the government and both the Church leadership and Karekin II himself.