The case involving Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six bishops has been assigned to Judge Serzh Rushanyan of the Armavir regional court. The information was published in the Datalex judicial information system.
There are currently two judges specializing in criminal cases at the Armavir regional court, Serzh Rushanyan and Arman Babakhanyan. The other judges are on leave, and their names were therefore removed from the list used for case assignments, Factor.am reports.
Judge Hakob Manukyan, who had been assigned the case involving Karekin II and the bishops, recused himself and declined to hear the case.
The Catholicos and the bishops have been charged with failure to comply with a court order.
The Catholicos of All Armenians has described the proceedings as state interference in the internal affairs of the Church.
On February 14, it emerged that Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and six bishops — Archbishop Natan 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 order related to Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, the defrocked head of the Masis Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The clergy members were prohibited from leaving Armenia.
Specifically, Saroyan challenged in court the decision to remove him as diocesan leader. He also sought an interim measure, asking to be reinstated as head of the diocese until a final judicial ruling was issued. The court granted the request.
The cleric, however, was not reinstated and was later defrocked. By decision of Karekin II, another cleric was appointed head of the diocese. The charges in the case center on this incident.
