The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople expressed support for Karekin II.

The Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church expressed support for the Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II and a group of bishops against whom legal proceedings have been initiated in Armenia.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Judge Akop Manukyan recused himself at the first hearing on August 7 in the criminal case of the Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II and six hierarchs. The Catholicos, two archbishops, and four bishops are accused of obstructing the execution of a court order.

The hierarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) issued a statement expressing support for Karekin II. The statement noted that the recently adopted "negative position" towards the Armenian Apostolic Church has been received by believers in Armenia and the diaspora with deep pain and offense, reports News.am.

"The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has been a beacon of faith for our people and a strong support for national and spiritual unity for centuries. The Armenian Church, with all its hierarchy, led by the Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II, continues its Christian, nationally devoted, and constructive mission," the statement reads.

According to the firm conviction of the Patriarchate, the recourse to legal proceedings against the Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians and the sacred bishops of the church, as well as their summons to secular authorities on charges of criminal offenses, deeply offends the hierarchical dignity of the Armenian Church.

"This pain becomes even deeper when the guarantees provided to the Church's mission by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the fundamental principles of human rights, seem to be ignored," the statement says.

The Constantinople Patriarchate of the AAC called on responsible parties to "keep the Armenian Church inviolable" and not to turn the decisions of official church bodies into subjects of secular judicial conflicts.

"In the diaspora, the Armenian Church continues to play a key role in the spiritual, national, and community life of our people. Therefore, any step aimed at weakening the authority of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin or encroaching on its inviolability harms the ties that have been strengthened over centuries between the Church and the believing people. We consider it inappropriate and offensive to seek a crime in the voice raised by the Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians and the church hierarchy on issues concerning the Church," the Patriarchate stated.

Bishops from different countries have also previously expressed support for the Catholicos of all Armenians. In particular, in a statement issued by Bishop Armas Nalbandyan (Damascus, Syria), Bishop Serovbe Isakhanyan (Cologne, Germany), and Bishop Oshakan Gyulgyulyan (Baghdad, Iraq), it is stated that the prosecution of Catholicos Karekin II and six bishops may raise serious questions for all those who value religious freedom, the rule of law, and fundamental principles of a democratic state, Arminfo points out.

The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia called the summons to court of the Supreme Patriarch unacceptable, reports the publication "News-Armenia".

"We, the two Catholicos, maintain constant communication with each other and consult on issues concerning our Homeland and nation. We expressed to Patriarch Karekin our deep indignation and even suggested that he not appear in court but send a representative instead," the statement of Catholicos Aram I reads.

They emphasized that in recent years, tensions, mutual distrust, and numerous problems have developed in the relationship between the state and the church in Armenia. At the same time, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia expressed confidence that "complex and sensitive issues cannot receive a fair and sustainable solution" through legal pressure, criminal prosecution, sharp confrontation, or interference in the internal life of the church.

The conflict between the authorities of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been ongoing since 2018, when Pashinyan came to power. This conflict became evident against the backdrop of the 2020 Karabakh war and the authorities' desire to establish relations with Turkey, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" noted.

In May 2025, Nikol Pashinyan sharply criticized the church, and in response to the objections of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, he replied with insults on Facebook*. Armenian politicians and church representatives demanded that Pashinyan apologize for the insults to the church.

More about the persecution of political opponents of the current authorities in Armenia can be read in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Main points on political arrests in Armenia in the summer of 2025".