YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — A second judge refused to preside over the trial of Catholicos Karekin II when it resumed on Friday, August 28, amid Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s continuing attempts to depose the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Karekin and six archbishops and bishops went on trial three weeks ago on charges stemming from the defrocking in January this year of another, pro-government bishop involved in Pashinyan’s controversial campaign. Their lawyers maintain that Armenian courts and law-enforcement bodies have no jurisdiction over internal church affairs. The Armenian constitution guarantees the ancient church’s independence and separation from the state.
A judge of the court of first instance in Vagharshapat, a town comprising the Echmiadzin seat of the Catholicos, recused himself from the unprecedented case moments after the start of the trial on August 7. The judge, Hakob Manukyan, cited a conflict of interest.
The case was then assigned to another local judge, Serzh Rushanyan. The latter ruled that it should be forwarded to a court in Yerevan. Rushanyan argued that prosecutors do not specify in their indictment where Karekin and the other defendants committed their alleged crime.
“If it is decided as a result of the dispute that this case does fall under my jurisdiction, we will meet at the next court hearing,” said the 29-year-old judge.
Both the trial prosecutors and defense lawyers objected to the decision.
