The criminal case involving Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six bishops who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council has been assigned to Judge Vahagn Melikyan of the Yerevan Criminal Court, according to Sputnik Armenia.
At this point, there is still no decision on whether to accept the case for proceedings, apply to the Court of Cassation to resolve the issue of jurisdiction, or send the case back to the Armavir court.
Vahagn Melikyan is the judge who in 2020 ordered the detention of Mikael Minasyan, Armenia’s former ambassador to the Holy See.
“It turns out that, according to reports, before that, he had been summoned to the National Security Service, where he was shown a private audio and video recording involving him and was asked to grant the State Revenue Committee’s new motion for detention, regardless of procedural violations.
“There is another noteworthy circumstance involving Judge Melikyan. In 2025, following an examination of the judge’s declarations, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him. The Corruption Prevention Commission requested that the proceedings be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council and, in parallel, applied to the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the initiation of criminal proceedings,” the report said.
At the Armavir Region Court of General Jurisdiction, a second judge has already declined to hear the criminal case involving the Catholicos of All Armenians and members of the Supreme Spiritual Council. Judge Hakob Manukyan initially decided to recuse himself, explaining that attorney Ara Zohrabyan, who is involved in the case, had issued his license to practice law. The case was subsequently reassigned to Serzh Rushanyan, who decided on August 28 to send it to the Yerevan Criminal Court.