Judge Hakob Manukyan has recused himself and declined to hear the case involving Catholicos of All Armenians Кarekin II and six bishops, lawyer Ara Zohrabyan told reporters outside the courthouse.
The hearing at the Court of General Jurisdiction of Armavir Province was held behind closed doors and lasted about 30 minutes, Sputnik Armenia reports.
“The judge recused himself and declined to hear this case. He was also a lawyer, and I was the one who presented him with his license. In my personal opinion, that was not grounds for recusal. But the judge, considering that this could raise doubts, recused himself. I welcome this step by the judge from the standpoint that he essentially refused to become part of this shameful process,” Zohrabyan said.
At the start of the hearing, Judge Manukyan said circumstances concerning private life, including matters relating personally to him, needed to be disclosed at that point, prompting the proceedings to continue behind closed doors, Factor.am reports.
Apart from the parties to the proceedings, other clergymen, politicians, and media representatives present in the courtroom were asked to leave. The hearing then continued behind closed doors.
On February 14, it became known that Catholicos of All Armenians Кarekin II and six bishops — Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan and Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan — had been charged under an article concerning obstruction of the enforcement of a court ruling related to Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, the defrocked former Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Masis Diocese. The clergymen were prohibited from leaving Armenia.
Specifically, Saroyan challenged in court the decision to remove him as diocesan primate. He also requested an interim measure, asking to be reinstated as primate until a final court ruling was issued. The court granted the request.
However, the clergyman was not reinstated and was later defrocked. By a decision of Karekin II, another clergyman was appointed primate of the diocese. The charges in the case were built around this incident.
