In Armenia, the prosecutor handling the case of Catholicos Garegin II has resigned

Prosecutor Khachatur Galstyan, who was handling the high-profile criminal case against Catholicos Garegin II of All Armenians and six members of the senior clergy, decided to resign. The prosecutor’s departure stems from his realization that the trial has no prospects of success and his unwillingness to defend a position that, according to the expert community, lacks legal grounds.

Sources note that the leadership of the prosecutor’s office was initially skeptical of this case, believing that it should have been dismissed as early as the investigative stage. Faced with a professional dilemma, Galstyan chose to resign to avoid having to support charges that could have negatively affected his reputation. At present, the duties of the prosecutor in this case have been assigned to Deputy Prosecutor General Aram Aramyan. Galstyan’s resignation was officially confirmed by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia.

As a reminder, criminal proceedings against the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church began in February 2025. Investigators accuse the patriarch of obstructing justice in the case of Arman Saroyan, the former head of the Masiatots Diocese, who had previously called for Garegin II’s resignation with the support of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In July, the prosecutor’s office finalized the indictment and also imposed a travel ban on the Catholicos, prohibiting him from leaving the country.

The conflict between the Armenian government and church leadership has been ongoing since 2020. The situation has significantly escalated this year, when Nikol Pashinyan publicly accused the Armenian Apostolic Church of a lack of financial transparency, corruption, and involvement in political conspiracies—allegations that many observers link to the current political course of the country’s authorities.

As a reminder, on September 4, a meeting took place at the Patriarchal Residence in Echmiadzin between Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, and Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. During the visit, the parties discussed the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral relations.