Criminal case opened against Catholicos Karekin II over defrocking  decision 

ArmInfo. The Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated a criminal case following the decision of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II to defrock Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who recently  joined the Armenian authorities' anti-church campaign.

According to the investigative body, the Armavir Court of General  Jurisdiction issued an injunction on January 16, 2026, prohibiting  the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) from obstructing Bishop Saroyan  in his duties as the Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese. This included  maintaining his control over the diocese's financial resources until  a final verdict on his earlier dismissal was reached.

Subsequently, the CES initiated enforcement proceedings, during which  a decision was made "On Compelling the Debtor to Perform Certain  Actions or to Refrain from Performing Certain Actions." On January  19, 2026, the decision was personally delivered to the Chancellery of  the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Meanwhile, under these  circumstances, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan was defrocked by patriarchal  decree, as declared by the Supreme Spiritual Council on January 27,  2026.

"Considering that the report documents clear instances of  non-enforcement of a legally valid judicial act and incitement to  non-enforcement by relevant officials of the "Armenian Apostolic Holy  Church", using their official powers and the resulting influence  within the framework of the aforementioned executive actions, on  January 29, 2026, a criminal case was launched by the General  Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases at  the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. The case was  initiated under Part 2 of Article 507 and Part 2 of Articles 46-507  of the Criminal Code.  Procedural and evidentiary actions are  currently being conducted as a result," the investigative body's  statement reads.

Recall, on January 10, 2026, by decree of His Holiness Karekin II,  Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who had joined Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan's anti-church campaign launched in May 2025, was removed  from his position as Primate of the Masiatsotn Diocese. The reasons  for his removal were cited as abuse of office, failure to fulfill  duties, and coercion and pressure against the clergy of the diocese.  Subsequently, on January 16, the bishop filed a lawsuit against the  Armenian Apostolic Church, seeking to have the Catholicos's decision  to be declared invalid.

In accordance with the decree of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos  of All Armenians, and the decision of the Supreme Spiritual Council  of January 27, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan was  defrocked and ordained as a  layman under the name Arman Saroyan. It was recorded that the latter,  by challenging the Patriarchate's decree dismissing him from his  position as diocesan abbot and returning him to the monastery, had  effectively violated his vow of obedience and filed a lawsuit against  Holy Etchmiadzin, demanding his reinstatement as abbot. The Armenian  Apostolic Church emphasized that the Supreme Spiritual Council,  having noted the slanderous accusations leveled by Bishop Gevorg in  his public speeches and statements against the See of Holy  Etchmiadzin, his fellow clergy, and the Catholicos of All Armenians,  strongly condemned such behavior, considering it a gross violation of  the principles of ecclesiastical order, canonical obedience, and  ecclesiastical unity, and proposed that the Catholicos of All  Armenians declare Bishop Gevorg Saroyan defrocked.