The Catholicos of the First Christian State in Court

The international Reuters news agency has reported on the upcoming trial of the Catholicos of All Armenians, Garegin II, and six high-ranking clergymen, describing it as yet another escalation in the deepening conflicts between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The trial is set to begin on August 7. Garegin II and the other defendants are accused of failing to comply with a civil court ruling that temporarily restored the episcopal status of Gevorg Saroyan, who had been defrocked by the church. If the charges are confirmed, they face up to two years in prison.

According to Reuters, the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the key institutions of the first state to adopt Christianity, has faced strained relations with the government in recent years, particularly due to disagreements surrounding peace talks with Azerbaijan and Pashinyan's political policies.

The agency notes that opposition political forces, church representatives, and various civil society organizations view the trial as politically motivated and part of broader pressure on critics of the government.

Anna Melikyan, a lawyer from the NGO “Borders Without Protection of Rights,” stated that the case violates the constitutional independence of the Armenian Apostolic Church and represents an interference of executive power in the church’s internal affairs. She also expressed concern about the independence of the judicial system in Armenia, especially in politically sensitive cases.

Reuters recalls that Pashinyan has repeatedly called for Garegin II's resignation and accused the church of serving the interests of foreign states, particularly Russia, without providing evidence, which the church denies.

The agency also refers to developments in recent years, noting that two years ago, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan led protests against Prime Minister Pashinyan and is now under house arrest. It has also been mentioned that several high-ranking clergy have faced criminal prosecution in recent years, with one being sentenced to imprisonment for calls for a change of government.

Tigran Grigoryan, head of the Regional Democracy and Security Center in Yerevan, told Reuters that Pashinyan's government has begun to perceive the church as a political threat and a supporter of the opposition, and he assesses that the cases brought against the clergy fall within the broader policy of selective justice.