Armenian Apostolic Church leaders face trial amid government tensions

Catholicos Karekin II and six senior clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church are facing criminal charges in Armenia. The legal proceedings began in Vagharshapat, where the clerics are accused of defying a court order to reinstate a defrocked bishop. If convicted, the leaders could face up to two years in prison.

The trial is viewed as a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between the church and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government. Tensions have risen following government decisions regarding border village handovers to Azerbaijan and subsequent protests led by clergy members calling for Pashinyan’s resignation. During the initial hearing, the presiding judge recused himself from the case.

The Patriarchate of Armenians in Turkey issued a statement expressing solidarity with Karekin II and the high-ranking bishops. The Patriarchate criticized the legal process, stating that calling religious leaders to account before secular authorities “offends the honor of the Armenian Church” and undermines the spiritual and national integrity of the Armenian people.