By Arshaluys Barseghyan
Khachatur Galstyan, the prosecutor in the case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six senior bishops, has resigned from his post. The Prosecutor General’s Office said on September 7 his departure was at his “own request” and unrelated to the criminal case, from which three judges have withdrawn in a month.
The trial is the first time in Armenia’s modern history where criminal charges have been brought against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and concerns the church’s refusal to reinstate a bishop who supported Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Church reforms.
If convicted, Catholicos Karekin II and six other senior bishops could face up to two years in prison.
Opposition-affiliated News.5tv.am was the first to report the prosecutor’s resignation on Saturday, September 5. The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed to local media that Galstyan left the post at his request. They denied his departure was related to the Karekin II case.
The prosecutor’s resignation came after three judges withdrew from the case within a month. Most recently, Vahagn Melikyan withdrew from the case in early September by applying to the Court of Cassation to resolve a dispute over its territorial jurisdiction. According to Armenian state-run media outlet Armenpress, his decision was based on the charges against Karekin II not specifying the location of the alleged offence.
