Armenia court hears bid to drop case against Catholicos Karekin II and six bishops

On September 18, 2026, Judge Serzh Rushanyan of the Armavir Regional Court of General Jurisdiction heard a preliminary session in the criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and six senior clergy, PAN.am reported. Defense lawyer Ara Zohrabyan asked the court to end the prosecution or, if a procedural barrier remained, send the question to Armenia’s Constitutional Court. Zohrabyan told the court, PAN.am reported, that “the state has no right to decide who should be a bishop,” and that declaring a bishop defrocked is a spiritual and canonical act, not a crime. The charge, as Armenpress and PAN.am set it out, is obstructing enforcement of a court order that Bishop Gevorg Saroyan — also named Arman Saroyan — remain primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese after Karekin II removed him in January 2026. Armenpress named the other defendants as Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, and Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan. This brief records those motions and charges. It is not a verdict.

Judge Rushanyan scheduled the next hearing for October 30, 2026, at 4 p.m., when he is to rule on the defense motions, PAN.am said. The case had bounced between courts: the first Armavir judge recused himself in August; Rushanyan then sent the file to Yerevan; a Yerevan judge asked the Court of Cassation to fix jurisdiction; and the Cassation court returned the case to Armavir, Armenpress and PAN.am reported. OC Media has described a longer public dispute between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Church, including government calls for a change in Church leadership. Those are attributed political claims. This brief does not endorse them. No casualties were reported in connection with the September 18 hearing.