A criminal case against Catholicos Garegin II has been referred to court in Armenia

The Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office has filed a criminal case in court against Catholicos Garegin II of All Armenians and six high-ranking officials of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The clergymen are accused of obstructing the enforcement of a secular court’s ruling, which, under the law, could result in actual prison terms. According to Radar Armenia ( ), the case files have already been transferred to a court of general jurisdiction in the Armavir region.

The conflict arose from the situation surrounding the former head of the Masiatots Diocese, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who was defrocked by decree of Garegin II in early 2026. After Saroyan refused to step down and filed a lawsuit in civil court, the secular court issued injunctive relief, effectively interfering in canonical matters of church governance. Investigators insist that the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and six other hierarchs intentionally obstructed the enforcement of these court decisions.

In addition to the Catholicos himself, the list of defendants includes Bishops Makar and Ovnan Akopyan, Musheg Babayan, Vahan Hovhannisyan, as well as Archbishops Nathan Hovhannisyan and Aykazun Nadjaryan. At this time, all defendants in the case have been subject to a travel ban as a pretrial restriction. Representatives of Etchmiadzin insist that matters of canon law fall outside the jurisdiction of secular courts, while the defense calls the proceedings politically motivated persecution.