Authorities in Armenia have opened a criminal case against Garegin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, in a move that has intensified tensions between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

According to reports citing the Catholicos’ lawyer, Ara Zohrabyan, the General Prosecutor’s Office has accused Garegin II of obstructing the enforcement of a court ruling related to former clergyman Arman Saroyan. As a preventive measure, authorities have imposed a travel restriction, requiring the Catholicos not to leave the country.

The Armenian Apostolic Church condemned the case as unlawful and politically motivated. In an official statement, the Church described the prosecution’s actions as a sign of disrespect toward millions of believers and toward the centuries-old institution it called a pillar of Armenian statehood. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin urged authorities to immediately reconsider what it termed illegal decisions affecting the Armenian Patriarch, six bishops who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and its secretary, warning that such measures risk deepening divisions in society and undermining the country’s prestige.

The dispute stems from a decision by Garegin II to defrock Bishop Gevorg (secular name Arman Saroyan) for violating church discipline. Saroyan challenged the decision in court and secured reinstatement. Investigators concluded that the enforcement of the judicial ruling had been obstructed, prompting the criminal proceedings.

The case unfolds amid a broader deterioration in relations between state authorities and the Church. Tensions escalated after the Church’s spiritual center, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign in 2020. In recent months, both sides have exchanged sharp public statements, with Church representatives accusing the government of interfering in internal ecclesiastical affairs.

Under Armenia’s Constitution, the Church is separate from the state, and the Catholicos is elected for life by a church assembly. Church officials argue that prosecuting its leader undermines the principle of ecclesiastical independence and could further inflame social tensions.