Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Judge Hakob Manukyan, who recused himself from hearing a criminal case involving the Catholicos of All Armenians and bishops who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council. The proceedings were initiated by the Ministry of Justice.
According to information circulated in the media, the disciplinary proceedings are directly linked to the judge’s decision to recuse himself from the criminal case concerning the Catholicos and the bishops, Sputnik Armenia reports.
The hearing on the motion to hold the judge disciplinarily liable is scheduled for November 16.
Earlier, Judge Manukyan had recused himself, explaining that he had obtained his license to practice law from Ara Zohrabyan, an attorney involved in the same criminal case. Following his recusal, the criminal case was reassigned to another judge of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Armavir Province, Serzh Rushanyan.
On August 28, Rushanyan ruled that the case should be transferred to the Yerevan Criminal Court. The decision was based on the fact that the charge brought against the Catholicos did not clearly specify where the pontifical decree declaring Arman Saroyan defrocked had been issued.
After the case was transferred to the Yerevan Criminal Court, it was assigned to Judge Vahagn Melikyan. Seeking clarification on the court’s territorial jurisdiction, Melikyan appealed to the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation ruled that the criminal case should be heard by the court in Armavir Province. The country’s highest judicial instance also criticized the decision to transfer the case to the Yerevan Criminal Court.
As a result, the criminal case was once again returned to Judge Serzh Rushanyan of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Armavir Province.
