Catholicos Garegin II refuses to answer investigators in church dispute

Garegin II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, has declined to provide testimony to investigators in the case brought against him following a lawsuit by Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.

The Catholicos “invoked his legal right” to refuse questioning, Caliber.Az reports per Armenian media.

Earlier, authorities in Etchmiadzin described actions by the Armenian Investigative Committee as “a gross and unlawful interference in church affairs.”

On January 10, by order of Catholicos Garegin II, Saroyan—who had demanded the resignation of the head of the Armenian Church—was relieved of his position as head of his diocese. Saroyan subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement.

As part of this lawsuit, judicial officers on January 16 prohibited the Catholicos from obstructing Saroyan’s activities as diocesan head and granted Saroyan authority over the diocese’s finances.

In response, on January 27, Garegin II stripped Saroyan of his episcopal rank. Investigators view this action as a refusal by the Catholicos to comply with the court order, which formed the basis for opening the case.

By Jeyhun Aghazada