The Supreme Patriarch and Bishops to Attend First Court Hearing

The Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians and the bishops will participate in the first court hearing. This was announced by lawyer Ara Zohrabyan.

“On August 7 at 16:00, the first preliminary hearing of the criminal case involving His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, and six bishops from the Supreme Spiritual Council will take place at the general jurisdiction court of Armavir region (Vagharshapat, 15 St. Gregory the Illuminator St., courtroom No. 1). The case will be examined by Judge Hakob Manukyan.

The Supreme Patriarch and the Holy Fathers present in Armenia will attend the first court session. The state's intervention in the Supreme Patriarch's decisions regarding the recall of the diocesan bishop and the deprivation of episcopal status is a violation of the autonomy of the Church, the constitutional relations between state and Church, and the fundamental principle of religious freedom, marking a historically shameful event.

The Armenian Patriarch is being subjected to criminal prosecution for fulfilling his ecclesiastical and canonical duties. The court will not only consider the charges against individual persons in this criminal case but also address the significant question of whether secular power can intrude into the internal affairs of the Church and criminalize the execution of the canonical authority of the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians,” Zohrabyan wrote.