The Prosecutor`s Office of Armenia has opened a criminal case against the Catholicos of All Armenians

ArmInfo. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia has launched a criminal investigation against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. As lawyer Ara Zohrabyan announced in a video message on social media, the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church is accused of obstructing the execution of a court decision in the case of the defrocking of Arman Saroyan.

The investigator has already attempted to question the Supreme Patriarch further. The interrogation ended with the Catholicos blessing the investigator and his family.

As is known, six high-ranking hierarchs had previously been charged in the case of Arman Saroyan's defrocking and were also banned from leaving the country.

Zohrabyan stated that the prosecutor's decision is directly related to the authorities' attempts to disrupt the upcoming Bishops' Council in Austria on February 15-16.

The lawyer called the charges against the Catholicos a historic and shameful act by the authorities, as well as direct interference in the internal affairs of the Church. He recalled that the previous day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had accused the Armenian Apostolic Church of attempting to "extend the Catholicosate outside Armenia," declaring that he would not allow this. Law enforcement agencies took Pashinyan's words to heart.

Saroyan, who had joined the government's anti-church campaign, was dismissed from his position as head of the diocese for abuse of power, failure to fulfill his duties, and pressure on the clergy. Saroyan filed a lawsuit against the Armenian Apostolic Church, demanding that the patriarchal order dismissing him from his position as head of the diocese be declared invalid. As part of this lawsuit, bailiffs on January 16 prohibited the Armenian Apostolic Church from interfering with Saroyan's activities as head of the diocese.