In Armenia, the judge in the Catholicos's case recused himself.
Modern.az reports that an unexpected event occurred during the court session in the case of Karekin II (Catholicos of All Armenians), the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Ruben Zohrabyan, the Catholicos's lawyer, told journalists that the presiding judge, Hakob Manukyan, recused himself (self-disqualification) and refused to hear the case.
According to the lawyer, the investigative bodies, the prosecutor's office, and the court are interfering in the internal affairs of the church:
“Today, the Catholicos and clergy are accused only of exercising their canonical powers. The state has interfered in the internal life of the church through investigation, prosecution, and court. This is prohibited by both laws and international law. We are currently facing a shameful situation.”
Zohrabyan stated that the judge made the decision to recuse himself, considering the possibility that his impartiality might be questioned.
“In my personal opinion, this was not a legal basis for the judge to recuse himself. However, he considered that certain doubts might arise and therefore withdrew from the case. I welcome this step. In fact, he refused to be part of this shameful process,” the lawyer emphasized.
According to him, the case will now be assigned to another judge. If the newly appointed judge does not recuse himself, the court will continue the judicial investigation.
The lawyer also stated that representatives of the prosecutor's office and Arman Saroyan, recognized as a victim, were present in court. He claimed that Saroyan entered the courtroom through the entrance reserved for judges.
Zohrabyan noted that in the history of Armenia, there has not been such a large-scale criminal prosecution against the Catholicos of All Armenians in the last 100 years.
“After the incident in the 1930s when Soviet Chekists killed Catholicos Khoren Muradbekyan, there has been no pressure of this level. Now, the Catholicos is subjected to criminal prosecution for exercising his canonical powers,” he said.
The lawyer added that although he planned to present a document in court stating that Arman Saroyan would obey the Catholicos, the course of the session did not allow it.
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The trial in the case of Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and six bishops has begun in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
Modern.az reports that security measures have been strengthened in front of the courthouse. Images circulated on social networks and local media show the situation around the courthouse, as well as footage from the courtroom.
He, along with other high-ranking clergy and priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church, performed the “Protect the Holy See of Etchmiadzin steadfastly” sharakan, followed by the “Our Father” prayer.
It should be noted that Karekin II and the bishops, who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, are accused of not complying with the court's decision prohibiting the patriarch's canonical decision.
The criminal case was initiated in February of this year and is related to the alleged obstruction of the execution of a court decision concerning Arman Saroyan, who was removed from the priesthood.
It should be noted that the Armenian authorities accuse Karekin II and six high-ranking clergy of obstructing the execution of a court decision. If found guilty, they could face up to two years in prison.
