The State Cannot Interfere with Garegin II's Exclusive Powers, According to Lawyer

This criminal proceeding relates to a decision regarding Garegin II's exclusive authoritative powers, in which the state cannot intervene. In other words, the Catholicos has made an exclusive decision regarding his patriarchal authority, which is entirely within his jurisdiction, and the state is now attempting to interfere with the establishment of that decision by threatening the application of criminal legal mechanisms. This was stated by lawyer Armine Fanyan during a conversation with journalists.

“This entire process is not legitimate; moreover, there are decisions from the European Court of Human Rights that clearly delineate this matter. The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia also speaks to this, stating that clear boundaries must be drawn between state interference and the internal affairs of the church or any religious organization. In this case, the state is erasing those boundaries,” said the lawyer.

In response to the reminder that the previous judge recused themselves, the possibility of the new judge also recusing remains uncertain. Fanyan replied, “We cannot say. You know this is a sensitive case; nonetheless, the impression from the judge is not negative. I cannot say what decision will be made in this case,” noted the lawyer.