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Third Judge Refuses to Hear Karekin II Criminal Case, Sends It to Court of Cassation
A Yerevan judge has asked Armenia’s Court of Cassation to decide which court should hear the criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six senior bishops, adding another procedural turn to a case that has already moved between several judges. Judge Vahagn Melikyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction referred the jurisdictional dispute to the Court of Cassation after the case was transferred from Armavir to Yerevan, the court said. Under Armenia
The Armenian Report Team
4 days ago
‘Painful,’ ‘Humiliating’ and ‘Something That Should Never Have Happened’: Supporters Condemn Karekin II Court Case as ‘Terror Against a 1,725-Year-Old Institution’
INTERVIEWS: As Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II appeared in court in an unprecedented criminal case Friday, supporters gathered outside described the moment as painful, humiliating and deeply unsettling for a nation whose church has survived centuries of war, foreign rule and political upheaval. The Armenian Report spoke with filmmakers, activists and political figures outside the Vagharshapat courthouse, where the first criminal proceedings against a sitting Catholicos
Armenian Church Leaders in Lebanon, Jerusalem and U.S. Condemn Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II
Senior Armenian Apostolic Church leaders in Lebanon, Jerusalem and the United States condemned the criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II on Friday, rallying behind the Church’s spiritual leader as he was due to appear in court as a defendant. Catholicos Aram I, head of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Lebanon, called Karekin II’s summons to court “unacceptable and condemnable.” He said he had personally urged the Catholicos not to attend the h
Judge Withdraws From Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II Minutes Into First Hearing
A judge withdrew Friday from the criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II just minutes after the first hearing began, delaying proceedings against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and six senior clerics. Judge Hakob Manukyan recused himself after initially closing the hearing to the public. A new hearing will be scheduled once another judge is assigned to the case, defense attorney Ara Zohrabyan told reporters outside the courthouse. The case charges Karekin II wi
Armenian Court Lifts Travel Ban on Catholicos Karekin II as Government-Church Clash Continues
An Armenian court has lifted a travel ban that had been placed on Karekin II earlier this year, in a case that shows the deepening tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The restrictions were introduced about two months ago by law-enforcement authorities and applied not only to the Catholicos but also to six bishops. The move came after charges were filed in connection with Karekin II’s decision in January to defro
The Armenian Report Team
Apr 13
Armenian Authorities Block Catholicos Karekin II From Traveling to Ilia II Funeral
The investigator has rejected a motion that would have allowed the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, to travel to Georgia, according to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. The decision prevents the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church from attending the funeral of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 93. The Georgian Church had officially invited the Catholicos to attend the funeral ceremony and take part in the Divine Liturgy
The Armenian Report Team
Mar 23
Catholicos Karekin II Removes Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan as Primate of Vayots Dzor After Joining Pashinyan’s Anti-Church Campaign
By the directive of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Abraham Mkrtchyan has been relieved of his duties as Primate of the Vayots Dzor Diocese. The decision was announced by the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. According to the official statement, the decision was made through a Pontifical directive issued by the Catholicos on March 16, 2026. “By a Pontifical directive dated March 16, 2026, His Holiness Karekin II,
The Armenian Report Team
Mar 16
Armenian Government Opens Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II, Imposes Travel Ban Before Bishops’ Assembly
Two days before the upcoming Bishops’ Assembly in Austria, Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal case against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and imposed a travel ban on Karekin II, preventing him from leaving the country. Attorney Ara Zohrabyan confirmed that the Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal prosecution against the Catholicos of All Armenians and that an investigator attempted to question His Holiness. According to Zohrabyan, the Catholico
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 14
Catholicos Karekin II Returns to Armenia and Addresses Growing Tensions Between Church and Government
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II returned to Armenia on Saturday evening after completing a visit to Switzerland and France. His arrival at Zvartnots International Airport took place at a tense moment for the Armenian Apostolic Church, following the recent arrest of one of its senior clerics. A group of citizens gathered at the airport to welcome the Catholicos, chanting “Ve-ha-par”. The Armenian Report’s Ani Khachatryan was at Zvartnots Airport covering the return. Spe
The Armenian Report Team
Dec 6, 2025
Pope Leo Sends Greetings to Karekin II During Visit to Armenian Church in Istanbul
Pope Leo XIV visited the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul on November 30, where he prayed and delivered a message focused on unity, Christian history, and renewed dialogue between churches. According to Vatican News, the Pope sent warm greetings to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as to the Armenian Apostolic community living in Turkey. During his message, he thanked God “for the courageous Christian witness that the Armenian people have s
The Armenian Report Team
Nov 30, 2025
Catholicos’s Brother and Nephew Jailed as Pashinyan’s War on Karekin II Intensifies
The conflict between Armenia’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church has entered a new and tense stage. Law enforcement authorities have arrested the brother and nephew of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, intensifying the standoff between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government and the Church leadership based in Holy Etchmiadzin. According to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, both Gevorg Nersisyan, the Catholicos’s brother, and his son Hambardzum Nersisyan were detained
The Armenian Report Team
Nov 3, 2025
Pashinyan Plans Public Rally in Etchmiadzin to Force Out Catholicos
In a new escalation of his confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans for a...
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 21, 2025
Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin: Thousands Gather as Catholicos Karekin II Warns of Threats to Armenia’s Unity and Urges Defense of Church, Nation, and Identity
On June 22, thousands of faithful from across Armenia and the diaspora gathered at the heart of the Armenian Apostolic Church to...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 22, 2025
Thousands Welcome Catholicos Karekin II Back to Yerevan Following Tensions Stirred by Pashinyan’s Accusations
His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, returned to Yerevan on Wednesday morning, greeted by thousands of devoted...
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 10, 2025
Catholicos of All Armenians Urges Ukraine to Preserve Orthodox Unity Following Ban on Russian Church
The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, has voiced strong concerns over recent developments in...
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 23, 2024
His Holiness Karekin II Sends Message of Hope and Unity on the Feast of Holy Nativity and Epiphany
In an address on the sacred occasion of the Feast of Holy Nativity and Epiphany, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians,...
The Armenian Report Team
Jan 6, 2024
Armenia's Public TV Company Responds to Missing Catholicos' Address on New Year's Eve Broadcast
Armenia’s Public Television Company has issued a response to the significant event that occurred on New Year’s Eve, which marked the...
The Armenian Report Team
Jan 3, 2024
First Time In Armenia’s Modern History, Catholicos' Annual New Year's Address Absent from Public TV's Midnight Broadcast
A long-standing tradition in Armenia faced disruption this New Year’s Eve as the anticipated annual message from His Holiness, the...
The Armenian Report Team
Dec 31, 2023
