The criminal case against Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos Karekin II returns to court on November 6, with the proceedings yet to advance to trial as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan intensifies efforts to remove the head of the country’s dominant religious institution.
The prosecution of Karekin, 75, who has led the Church since 1999, is unprecedented in Armenia’s modern history. The legal proceedings are part of a broader political confrontation, with Pashinyan’s government incorporating the Catholicos’ removal into its five-year programme.
“There is no other option, he must leave, and the state will use all the levers for this,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing in October, according to Factor.am. “He is a blasphemer, a blasphemer of the church, a blasphemer of the canons, and someone who has usurped the church, and he must leave.”
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 6, after the previous date of October 30 was postponed by a week.
Karekin is charged alongside six senior clerics from the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council with using their official powers to obstruct a court ruling. The charges, brought under Article 507 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, carry penalties ranging from a fine to two years in prison, according to Forum 18, a Norwegian human rights organisation that promotes religious freedom. All seven defendants deny wrongdoing.
The case began with the dismissal of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese on January 10, after he backed Pashinyan’s calls for a change of Church leadership. Saroyan challenged the decision in court, and a civil court in Armavir ordered his reinstatement on January 16 pending the outcome of his lawsuit. The Church refused to comply, arguing that such matters fell under its own canons, and defrocked him on January 27.
The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on January 29, charging six clerics the following day. Karekin was charged on February 14.
The defence argues that the prosecution violates the Church’s constitutional autonomy. Article 41 of Armenia’s constitution grants religious organisations independence, while a 2007 law recognises the Armenian Apostolic Church as self-governing.
The authorities deny targeting religious institutions, saying the case concerns individual alleged offences.
Three judges have handled Karekin’s case since August, with the first formally recusing himself and the others transferring or referring it on jurisdictional grounds. The Justice Ministry has asked the Supreme Judicial Council to discipline the judge who withdrew, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty‘s Armenian service reported.
A wider political confrontation
The dispute has its roots in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, over which the Church criticised Pashinyan’s handling of the war and his decision to cede territory to Azerbaijan. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan led protests against the prime minister in 2024.
Pashinyan publicly demanded Karekin’s resignation in June 2025, also accusing him of fathering a child. Pressure on the Church’s senior clergy and their allies has intensified since then.
Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was jailed for two years in October 2025 for calling for the government’s overthrow. Karekin’s brother and nephew were detained the following month, while Galstanyan was placed under house arrest.
Pashinyan unveiled a Church reform roadmap in December and signed a plan to remove Karekin in January. Parliament approved the government’s five-year programme on August 25, while the prime minister has proposed a parliamentary commission to investigate the Church “crisis”, potentially paving the way for new legislation.
“The church is not the Catholicos; the church is the community of believers,” Pashinyan said, rejecting allegations that his efforts breached the constitutional separation of church and state.
The confrontation has geopolitical implications. The European Union has strongly backed Pashinyan as he seeks to reduce Armenia’s dependence on Russia, while Moscow has criticised the government’s actions against the clergy.
Pashinyan has accused the Church of acting as a proxy for Russian influence, without presenting evidence. Karekin and the Church deny the allegations.
The Armenian Bar Association, a diaspora lawyers’ body, said in August that the prosecution raised “serious concerns” under international human rights law. A joint statement in July from groups including the Helsinki Committee of Armenia and Christian Solidarity International accused the government of a “systematic and sustained campaign” against the Church.
The defence has appealed to international institutions, sending letters to the European Union’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom on October 27. The letters call for public condemnation of the proceedings and for alleged violations to be raised with the Armenian government.
The court’s decision on the defence motions could determine whether the case proceeds to trial, is dismissed or is referred to the Constitutional Court.
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